Last September, George Perkovich and I published an Adelphi Paper, Abolishing Nuclear Weapons, which attempted to identify the challenges of getting to zero and how they might be overcome. Most of all, however, it called for serious international debate on the subject. We have made an effort to catalyze such debate with our new book …
Unha/Taepodong Test Imminent
by | 2009-02-25 | 13 Comments
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 …
