From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!karn
Newsgroups: net.space
Title: Cosmos 1402
Article-I.D.: eagle.707
Posted: Thu Jan  6 02:20:34 1983
Received: Thu Jan  6 05:34:03 1983

As most of you have probably already heard, a Soviet spy satellite,
Cosmos 1402, is uncontrollable and likely to re-enter within the month.
Unfortunately, this spacecraft contains a nuclear power source with
about 100 pounds of enriched uranium.  An earlier satellite of similiar
design, Cosmos 954, re-entered accidentally several years ago in
northern Canada.

By interesting coincidence, Cosmos 1402 is the last object listed in my
Situation Report.  It was only launched on 30 August 1982.  It carries
catalog number 13441, in case anybody wants to order orbit bulletins
from NASA (this bulletin service was mentioned in the AP article, in
case you've seen it).

The Soviets aren't the only ones to fly spacecraft with nuclear
materials: the Apollo ALSEPs (lunar surface science experiments),
Voyager, and Viking were a few US examples.  But those generators were
designed to withstand launch disasters and accidental re-entry. For example,
there is a plutonium generator, probably still intact, sitting on the
floor of the Pacific from the Apollo 13 lunar module. Just in case
somebody wants to go and get it!

Phil Karn