Word: nuclearization
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Ever since a Soviet nuclear-powered satellite broke apart over a remote region of northern Canada in 1978, the use of atomic reactors in space has been highly controversial. Once again the debate over nukes in orbit has heated up. Last April the Soviets lost control of another nuclear satellite, raising fears that it would fall to earth before they managed to boost the reactor into a safer, high-altitude orbit. Then, at a scientific conference in New Mexico last month, the Soviets said they had begun putting a new generation of powerful reactors in space and were even interested...
...news has upset antinuclear activists and raised questions about American + plans for nukes in space. The U.S. has not launched a nuclear satellite since 1977, relying instead mostly on solar-powered models. But Pentagon officials are planning the eventual use of atomic spacecraft in the Strategic Defense Initiative, the Government's proposed space-based defense system. To prevent that idea from going any further, U.S. Representative George Brown, a California Democrat, introduced a bill in Congress last week that would bar American nuclear-power sources from space -- on the unlikely condition that the Soviets do so first. The only exceptions...
...Soviets have launched some three dozen nuclear satellites over the past two decades. Altogether they contain almost 3,500 lbs. of radioactive fuel. The only way to halt that proliferation would be to make space nukes an issue in U.S.-Soviet arms-control talks. Warns Brown: "If we don't stop the use of nuclear-power sources traveling over our heads, we're likely to wake up one day with a nuclear reactor landing on our heads...
...secretary said he and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl agreed at a "very, very friendly" talk yesterday to negotiate differences over the NATO plan which would develop, produce and deploy new nuclear missiles to replace aging shorter-range rockets...
Another line of questioning, however, may eventually damage Tower even more. Between 1986 and late 1988, he was paid $750,000 in consulting fees by several major defense contractors. He had earlier served as chief American negotiator in START talks aimed at limiting strategic nuclear missiles. He told the committee that his firm provided both Martin Marietta and LTV with information on the impact a separate INF treaty banning medium-range missiles might have on their businesses. Michigan Democrat Carl Levin suggested those contacts might create the appearance that Tower had leaked to the contractors secret information about...