# Archangelsk and White Sea on Lockdown - Radiation spike after missile test fail



## Kirkhill (9 Aug 2019)

On Monday, a massive fire set off explosions in an arms depot at a base in Siberia (Image: GETTY)



> A RUSSIAN naval base is on a mysterious month-long lockdown after an accidental missile explosion at the base was linked to a sudden radiation spike in the region.
> By OLI SMITH
> PUBLISHED: 11:43, Fri, Aug 9, 2019 | UPDATED: 13:33, Fri, Aug 9, 2019
> 
> ...



Link

Interesting turn of events.

Also - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/08/explosion-military-base-russia-arkhangelsk


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## The Bread Guy (9 Aug 2019)

Nooooooooooothing to worry about according to RUS (state) media ...


> *Explosion Hits Military Unit in Russia's North: at Least 2 Killed, 4 Injured *-- The incident at the Nenoks training ground resulted in two deaths, a source in the region’s law enforcement said, adding that the radiation level is normal ...


... oh, wait (also from RUS state media) ...


> *Missile engine blast at testing site in northern Russia kills two* -- A rise of the radiation level was registered ...


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## Retired AF Guy (9 Aug 2019)

USNI is reporting that the explosion occurred near the village of Nyonoksa, which is just west of Severodvinsk. 

The missile test area is just north of the town of Nyonoksa. (see attached photos). If you have Google Earth you can zoom-in and get more detail of the testing area. 

Images from Google Earth.


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## tomahawk6 (10 Aug 2019)

A Russian nuclear space rocket blew up spreading some nuclear debris and causing 5 deaths and some injuries.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-nuclear-agency-says-5-dead-in-missile-test-explosion/ar-AAFCXHl?ocid=spartanntp


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## The Bread Guy (10 Aug 2019)

Latest from Russian state media ...

_*"Five Rosatom employees die in accident at military testing range in northern Russia* -- An accident involving a liquid-fuel jet engine occurred at a military testing range near Severodvinsk in the Arkhangelsk region on August 8 ..."_ (TASS)
_*"Rosatom Employees Died in Arkhangelsk Incident Due to Unfortunate Combination of Factors"*_ (RIA Novosti)
... and Russian independent media ...

_"U.S.-based nuclear experts said on Friday they suspected an accidental blast and radiation release in northern Russia this week occurred during the testing of a nuclear-powered cruise missile vaunted by President Vladimir Putin last year ..."__*** (Moscow Times)
[*]*"Radiation Spike Fuels Scramble for Iodine in Russian Cities Near Explosion"* (Moscow Times)_
_
... as well as others:

"Russia's state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom says that a team of its employees had been working on an experimental "isotope power source" when it exploded****, killing five people and injuring three more in a still very mysterious accident yesterday ..." (The Drive)
"... A military source told the newspaper Kommersant***** that the explosion was caused by rocket fuel – unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine – coming into contact with an oxidant. It is possible that tons of this extremely toxic substance ended up in the water. In this case, the closure of the area could be necessary to prevent the poisoning of the locals, who traditionally rely on fishing for their livelihood ..." (uawire.org, Ukrainian media)

*** - 9M730_Burevestnik (Wikipedia - usual caveats)
**** - Screen capture of Rosatom English statement attached - text of Russian version attached as first PDF
***** - Original source article text in Russian attached as second PDF_


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## brihard (10 Aug 2019)

What is a “nuclear powered cruise missile”? I’m struggling to wrap my ahead around an accident like this causing a major radioisotope release. I’m not aware of radioisotopes being of any use for propulsion in a terrestrial or atmospheric setting?

I imagine there will be some rather squirrely ops being conducted to try to get some isotope samples, maybe a few interesting flights over the pole or some hairy submarine stuff...


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## The Bread Guy (10 Aug 2019)

Brihard said:
			
		

> What is a “nuclear powered cruise missile”? I’m struggling to wrap my ahead around an accident like this causing a major radioisotope release. I’m not aware of radioisotopes being of any use for propulsion in a terrestrial or atmospheric setting?


I'd like to know more, too - although I _suspect_ at least some of this is pretty high-level scientific secret squirrel stuff.

The English statement from RUS's atomic energy folks uses the phrase "a liquid propulsion system involving isotopes." 

Google Translate says the Russian-language version of the statement says "The tragedy occurred during the period of work related to the engineering and technical support of *isotopic power sources in a liquid propulsion system*" (for anyone that reads Russian and can provide more insight, it's _"Трагедия произошла в период работ, связанных с инженерно-техническим сопровождением изотопных источников питания на жидкостной двигательной установке."_

Any rocket surgeons out there that can give us an accurate/brief/clear breakdown?  ;D



			
				Brihard said:
			
		

> I imagine there will be some rather squirrely ops being conducted to try to get some isotope samples, maybe a few interesting flights over the pole or some hairy submarine stuff...


 :nod:

Co-incidentally, it also appears Finland has real-time radioactive monitoring online here, with a map showing Severodvinsk around 470 km east (as the crow flies) of the western-most FIN monitoring station.  op:


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## Oldgateboatdriver (11 Aug 2019)

Well, Asymetrical Dimethylhydrazine (usually referred to as just hydrazine) is definetely a recognized rocket fuel. It's a very stable coumpound at just about any temperature while in liquid form, but becomes highly explosive in gaseous form at the proper intermix with oxygen.

In a rocket, it is usually kept in liquid form in the tank, with liquid oxygen as the fuel intermixer. Both are injected in the engine's bell at low pressure, and so vapourize instantly, and are ignited to propel the rocket. Cut the flow of either and the engine shuts down.

From the description in the articles above, I can't figure out how any nuclear product could play a role. 

This is way over my paygrade, but I note that the Americans seem unsurprized, so they may already have an inkling of the science behind all this.

Purely as a speculation here: In a hydrazine fueled rocket, the LOX is much more voluminous then the hydrazine, so using such engine for a hypersonic, or even regular, cruise missile would make the damn thing pretty big. In the atmosphere, we obviously have oxygen as part of the composition of gaz available everywhere, but it is difficult to extract it fast enough to maintain the intermix properly in a hydrazine fueled engine. That is why even in the atmosphere, those engine cary their own LOX. Again, I am speculating here, but perhaps the Russians have been working on a reaction with nuclear isotopes as catalysts to extract oxygen more efficiently and thus, at a sufficient rate to provide the engine with oxygen without the need for onboard storage of LOX. That would be a big breakthrough in atmospheric rocket engines.

I note here, however, that if that is the case, and when you consider the radiation that just resulted from this accident, I would hope that this propulsion is only considered for nuclear armed missile (becasue causing a little bit more radiation when you nuke someone is not an issue), not for classic explosives used for conventional attacks - where the irradiation of an area much larger than the explosion would result from any use.


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## SeaKingTacco (11 Aug 2019)

I was reading up on SLAM, which was a late 1950s USAF project for a nuclear powered ramjet cruise missile. Basically, a small nuclear reactor heated the incoming air to a point which made the ramjet work at much lower speeds than a conventional ramjet. If it all worked as advertised, it was supposed to have been  able to drive a cruise missile at Mach 4.2 @ 30,000ft for a range of 114,000NM (yep- 4 times around the globe). The US abandoned the project because ICBMs came on line at around the same time- which were cheaper, faster and more immune to being countered. And even in those days, they were a bit freaked out by the radiation hazard of this engine (they actually benched tested the engine).

It could be that the Russians have brought this project back from the dead and are using a conventional booster rocket to get the cruise missile off the ground and up to operational speed before the ramjet takes over. If the conventional rocket fails in some way, you end up nuking your own launch point...


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## Blackadder1916 (11 Aug 2019)

SeaKingTacco said:
			
		

> It could be that the Russians have brought this project back . . .



Nothing new or speculative in that supposition.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/russia-reveals-unstoppable-nuclear-powered-cruise-missile/


> Russia Reveals ‘Unstoppable' Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missile
> 
> Putin announced a new high-yield intercontinental-range cruise missile purportedly capable of penetrating any missile defense system.
> 
> ...


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## Good2Golf (11 Aug 2019)

Oldgateboatdriver said:
			
		

> ..,Purely as a speculation here: In a hydrazine fueled rocket, the LOX is much more voluminous then the hydrazine, so using such engine for a hypersonic, or even regular, cruise missile would make the damn thing pretty big. In the atmosphere, we obviously have oxygen as part of the composition of gaz available everywhere, but it is difficult to extract it fast enough to maintain the intermix properly in a hydrazine fueled engine. That is why even in the atmosphere, those engine cary their own LOX. Again, I am speculating here, but perhaps the Russians have been working on a reaction with nuclear isotopes as catalysts to extract oxygen more efficiently and thus, at a sufficient rate to provide the engine with oxygen without the need for onboard storage of LOX. That would be a big breakthrough in atmospheric rocket engines.



Hydrazine is usually combusted hypergolically with (di)nitrogen-tetroxide, not LOX, as both hydrazine and nitrogen-tetroxide are fairly stable stored under reasonable pressure with no temperature control factors required by LOX.  Hydrazine has a ~744 Kg/M3 density and Nitrogen-tetroxide 1440 Kg/M3 , so the ‘fuel’ tank will be ~2x bigger than the oxidant tank, not really bad compare to other liquid fuels like RP-1 or methane.

I think the isotopes came from an inerted warhead (why they’d have on on, who knows), vice a catalytic use of isotopes to catalyze the fuel
Or oxidant. 

:2c:

Regards
G2G


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## The Bread Guy (12 Aug 2019)

A few more tea leaves to read via Bloomberg …


> The failed missile test that ended in an explosion killing five scientists last week on Russia’s White Sea involved a small nuclear reactor, according to a top official at the institute where they worked.
> 
> The institute is working on small-scale power sources that use “radioactive materials, including fissile and radioisotope materials” for the Defense Ministry and civilian uses, Vyacheslav Soloviev, scientific director of the institute, said in a video shown by local TV.
> 
> ...


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## The Bread Guy (13 Aug 2019)

"OK, folks, gotta go!"  "Oh, my bad - not so fast" …


> The Russian military on Tuesday told residents of a village near a navy testing range to evacuate, but cancelled the order hours later, adding to the uncertainty and confusion fueled by a missile explosion last week that led to a brief spike in radiation that frightened residents and raised new questions about the military’s weapons program.
> 
> Initially the military told residents of Nyonoksa, a village of about 500, to move out temporarily, citing unspecified activities at the range. But a few hours later, it said the planned activities were cancelled and rescinded the request to leave, said Ksenia Yudina, a spokeswoman for the Severodvinsk regional administration.
> 
> ...


More @ link


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## Cloud Cover (21 Aug 2019)

I love this Darth Putin guy: https://twitter.com/DarthPutinKGB/status/1164162734264606720


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## OldSolduer (21 Aug 2019)

Cloud Cover said:
			
		

> I love this Darth Putin guy: https://twitter.com/DarthPutinKGB/status/1164162734264606720



That is so funny despite it being such a serious topic. :rofl:


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## tomahawk6 (24 Aug 2019)

Russia sent a floating nuclear reactor from Murmansk Friday. What could go wrong ? 

https://news.yahoo.com/russia-launches-floating-nuclear-reactor-arctic-despite-warnings-015736329.html


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## Kirkhill (24 Aug 2019)

> NASA’s administrator has described plans by the agency, the China National Space Administration and Russia’s Roscosmos to develop rockets powered by thermal nuclear nuclear propulsion as a “game-changer”.
> By GURSIMRAN HANS
> PUBLISHED: 00:30, Sat, Aug 24, 2019 | UPDATED: 00:58, Sat, Aug 24, 2019





> In May, US Congress awarded NASA $125million (£102million) for research into the possibilities. The phenomenon if realised would result spacecraft being powered by nuclear explosions to generate thrust. As reported by Space.com, Mr Bridenstine explained: “That is absolutely a game-changer for what NASA is trying to achieve.
> 
> “That gives us an opportunity to really protect life, when we talk about the radiation dose when we travel between Earth and Mars.”
> 
> The trip between the two planets could be much quicker than previously anticipated.





NASA, Russia and China playing with nuclear powered "rockets".

Russian "isotope powered rocket" goes bang.....

No connection, I'm sure.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1169594/NASA-news-Jim-Bridenstine-thermal-nuclear-propulsion-game-changer-Russia-China


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## tomahawk6 (24 Aug 2019)

The real gamechanger will be when we are able to achieve light speeds for interstellar travel.


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## Retired AF Guy (24 Aug 2019)

Chris Pook said:
			
		

> NASA, Russia and China playing with nuclear powered "rockets".
> 
> Russian "isotope powered rocket" goes bang.....
> 
> ...



I know back in the 50-60s the US was looking into nuclear propulsion for space travel but wasn't it banned by some international treaty.


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## tomahawk6 (24 Aug 2019)

A trip to the stars will be a bit quicker with nuclear propulsion but it will still be slow going. To go to Alpha Centauri B would take around 100 years unless we can travel at light speeds. It may be possible eventually but not in our lifetime.

https://www.space.com/33844-proxima-b-exoplanet-interstellar-mission.html


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## Good2Golf (25 Aug 2019)

Retired AF Guy said:
			
		

> I know back in the 50-60s the US was looking into nuclear propulsion for space travel but wasn't it banned by some international treaty.



...and 70s.  Tested out in ‘Jackass Flats, NV.’ :nod:

Nuclear propulsion using hydrogen as the working propellant wins the ‘Specific Impulse’ contest...almost 900 seconds. Even LH2 and LOX only yields up to 450 seconds.  Inter-solar travel would definitely benefit from nuclear propulsion.

Regards
G2G


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## Jarnhamar (25 Aug 2019)

Retired AF Guy said:
			
		

> I know back in the 50-60s the US was looking into nuclear propulsion for space travel but wasn't it banned by some international treaty.



The Outter Space Treaty banned weapons of mass destruction in space.

Project Orion explored the idea of propulsion by detonating a series of atomic bombs behind space craft. 


There's quite a few nuclear-electric satallites and other nuclear reactors in space, though. It should still be doable.


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## Kirkhill (25 Aug 2019)

Jarnhamar said:
			
		

> The Outter Space Treaty banned weapons of mass destruction in space.
> 
> Project Orion explored the idea of propulsion by detonating a series of atomic bombs behind space craft.
> 
> ...





> 1978: Soviet nuclear satellite crashes in Canadian North
> 
> The Story
> 
> ...



https://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/1978-soviet-nuclear-satellite-crashes-in-canadian-north

A lot of man-made radio-active sources over head.  

Competing with Supernova and solar radiation and cosmic background as well as radon, radium, uranium and other neat stuff below.


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## Old Sweat (25 Aug 2019)

couple of things about the crash and subsequent recovery. I was at FMCHQ in the training shop with one of my responsibilities to supervise CABC training. After the crash a party of staff from the unit jumped into the area to secure it until the specialized folks could arrive.

We also had a serial on Basic Para just entering J Stage, when all the Hercs went to join the search. We sent the students home (to the consternation of the OC of Parachute Training Wing). However, in a few weeks thanks to some stellar work by G4 Move and Training Systems and Air Command, we got a Herc long enough to bring the serial back and qualify them all.

And many years later, I found that the two civvies who first found and reported the wreckage became the film makers who did a documentary on Canada's part in the Second Anglo-Boer War. I am in the credits as a technical adviser. Interesting stories they had about the incident in the NWT indeed.


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## Kirkhill (25 Aug 2019)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> couple of things about the crash and subsequent recovery. I was at FMCHQ in the training shop with one of my responsibilities to supervise CABC training. After the crash a party of staff from the unit jumped into the area to secure it until the specialized folks could arrive.
> 
> We also had a serial on Basic Para just entering J Stage, when all the Hercs went to join the search. We sent the students home (to the consternation of the OC of Parachute Training Wing). However, in a few weeks thanks to some stellar work by G4 Move and Training Systems and Air Command, we got a Herc long enough to bring the serial back and qualify them all.
> 
> And many years later, I found that the two civvies who first found and reported the wreckage became the film makers who did a documentary on Canada's part in the Second Anglo-Boer War. I am in the credits as a technical adviser. Interesting stories they had about the incident in the NWT indeed.



Old Sweat,  Wha dae ye no' ken?   :bowdown:


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## tomahawk6 (26 Aug 2019)

The only aircraft crashes I saw was the Huey I was in crashed trying to lift off in swirling snow and as part of a rapi reaction unit when a USAF OV-10 went down during a live fire ex. In the Huey crash the pilot was killed but the rest of the aircrew and the squad being transported survived. Kind of like Karma. The man that caused the crash that banged up everyone got killed. The OV-10 crash was a nasty bloody affair. The aircrew died but the USAF would not allow the Army doctors to pronounce so they bodies remained in place about 8 hours until a security team and doc to be flown out. Damn shame really. Within an hour of the crash an Army doc was flown out and a Huey pilot landed an ran out to disconnect anything electrical to prevent a fire. We saw where the airaft had skidded and then a wing caught the plane and it flipped over. Bad luck but if the crew had been able to keep the wings level they might have survived. We gad been wearing overwhites but after crawling inside the cabin they were red.


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## The Bread Guy (26 Aug 2019)

A bit of info on what's been spotted according to what RUS authorities are sharing ...


> Russia’s state meteorological service says it has identified four radioactive substances in samples taken from Severodvinsk, a city where radiation levels briefly spiked after a mysterious explosion at a site 18 miles (29km) away.
> 
> The explosion on 8 August killed at least five nuclear specialists from one of the premier research hubs run by the state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom.
> 
> ...


More here.


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## The Bread Guy (27 Aug 2019)

Norway's nuclear monitor walking back initial "two explosions in the same place" assessment ...


> Reports of a second blast from a deadly Russian rocket engine test may be wrong, and the signals could stem from unrelated mining activity, the Norwegian monitor that first presented the double explosion theory said.
> 
> Norsar, Norway's nuclear test-ban monitor, last week said an Aug. 8 explosion that killed five Russian scientists was followed by a second blast two hours later, and that this was the likely source of a spike in radiation.
> 
> ...


*** - English-language NORSAR statement here.


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