The Open Skies Treaty Bites the Dust
Lyric of the week: Who knows where the time goes? And I am not alone while my love is near me I know it will be so until it’s time to go So come the storms of winter and then…
2020
85 posts
China’s DF-26: A Hot-Swappable Missile?
By Joshua H. Pollack and Scott LaFoy P.W. Singer and Ma Xiu have an important story in PopSci with a nifty find about China’s DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), which carries either nuclear or conventional payloads. It goes some way…
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
Quote of the week: “America prepared for the wrong kind of war. It prepared for a new 9/11, but instead a virus came.” – Dominique Moisi Dear readers: I’m on the home stretch of a book in progress tentatively titled…
Iran’s Satellite and the IRGC Space Program
Iran launched a small satellite into orbit. But more importantly, it was Iran’s revolutionary guards, not the civilian space program, that did the launching — and with a new solid rocket motor as the second stage. Fabian Hinz joins Jeffrey…
Trump’s National Security Strategy Revisited
Lyric of the week: Don’t you ever be sad Lean on me, when times are bad When the day comes and you’re down In a river of trouble and about to drown Just hold on, I’m comin’ Hold on, I’m…
Russia’s Nudol Anti-Satellite Missile Test
In mid-April, Russia tested a direct ascent anti-satellite missile (DA ASAT), the Nudol/PL19, against a point in space. Anti-satellite weapons are an old favorite of the pod, so Anne, Aaron, and Jeffrey meet to discuss the history of anti-satellite weapons,…
Hard and Soft Power
Lyric of the week: There’s gonna come a time when the true scene leaders Forget where they differ and get big picture ’cause the kids at their shows, they’ll have kids of their own The sing-a-long songs will be our…
The Day After Hiroshima
Quote of the week: “If necessary, we shall continue the war alone, and we are not afraid of that. But I trust you realize, Mr. President, that the voice and force of the United States may count for nothing if…
Roof repair work spotted at the Pyongsan uranium mill
In exciting news, Planet Labs snapped its first Skysat (0.8m resolution) image of North Korea’s uranium mill at Pyongsan on April 14, 2020. The image shows North Korea completed roof repair work on the largest building at the complex. This…
The IAEA’s questions for Iran
The International Atomic Energy Agency has questions about three sites in Iran — but Iran doesn’t feel like answering. Aaron, Anne and Jeffrey discuss the atomic archive, access to suspect facilities, and environmental sampling. Plus, there are a few things…