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21-01-09 Fragments break off Soviet-era nuclear satellite

Fragments have broken off a Soviet-era nuclear-powered satellite,a senior Russian military official said.Fragments have broken off a Soviet-era nuclear-powered satellite but do not pose a threat to the Earth's surface or the International Space Station,a senior Russian military official said.The Cosmos-1818 military satellite,which was decommissioned shortly after its launch in 1987, shed "insignificant" fragments into space on July 4,2008,the deputy head of Russia's Space Forces Alexander Yakushin said in a statement on Wednesday."There is no risk of radioactive contamination of the Earth's surface," he said.The International Space Station is not at risk as the satellite has a much higher orbit,he said.U.S. publication the Orbital Debris Quarterly News reported in its January issue that the satellite released dozens of particles,possibly droplets of sodium-potassium coolant from its reactor.The high orbit of the satellite,which was taken out of service months after its launch,means there is no threat of premature re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere,the report said