Pollack the Wit — no relation to Joe — links to KCNA’s announcement that “preparations for launching experimental communications satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 by means of delivery rocket Unha-2 are now making brisk headway …” I observe no references, prior to February 24, 2009, describing North Korea’s rocket as “Unha” and I certainly don’t see any references …
For Satellites, Danger Lurks at the Poles
by | 2009-02-25 | 1 Comment
Average probability of some (any) operational satellite at a give altitude being hit by something, either a piece of space debris, rocket body, or another satellite each year. This was calculated using a flux of space objects with diameters greater than 1 cm from NASA’s model that is valid for the equatorial region. It predicts …
Nine Cascades In Vacuum
by | 2009-02-24 | 22 Comments
I wanted to talk about Joby Warrick’s story, Iran Easing Aspects Of Nuclear Program, Report Cites Lag at Centrifuge Facility. A senior UN official told journalists that Iran has slowed installation of a second module of 3,000 centrifuges: “The pace of installing and bringing centrifuges into operation has slowed quite considerably since August,” a senior …
Safeguards in Iran. And Elsewhere.
by | 2009-02-22 | 15 Comments
Partial schematic of Iran’s planned fuel cycle, once facilities currently under construction have been completed. I was travelling on Friday and got back to the internet to observe the aftermath of the s*!t storm over material accountancy in Iran. The story that seems to be emerging is that Iran understated the quantity of low enriched …
