[ RadSafe ] News Items

[JPreisig at aol.com]

Dear Radsafe:
 
 
     Hope you all are well.  The following few  items are from Google News, 
the Evening TV News
(USA). etc. over the past few weeks.
 
    Within the last few weeks, the US government tested a  missile defense 
system, with a missile 
launched via Vandenberg Air Force Base.  Apparently the intercept test  was 
a success.
 
    The North Koreans are threatening a Nuclear Weapons  test.  A while 
ago, they also tested an ICBM
type of rocket, apparently to launch a satellite into orbit.   According to 
US News etc. sources, the
launch was fairly successful, but I heard the satellite deployment was not  
quite successful.  They right
now are probably working to improve their launch vehicle, guidance systems, 
 Kalman Filters etc.
Count on it.
 
    What's next??? Hopefully peaceful negotiations are going  on with all 
Nations involved.  I suspect, on the 
low estimate end, that North Korea has one to five nuclear warheads  
available for launching via an
ICBM-type rocket.  I suspect they have multiple such Missiles  available.  
If I lived in Alaska,
Hawaii, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Salt Lake 
 City, etc. or on a west
coast military base, I'd be a bit worried right now.  I have no idea  what 
the North Korean's Missile launch
range is.  1000 miles???, 2000 miles??? and so on.  I hope the  USA defense 
missiles are ready to
intercept an incoming ICBM.  I believe a pre-emptive air-strike on the  
Korean launch facility would be a
distinct possibility.
 
    Of course, the USA would be able to counter-fire with  ICBM's, and 
Cruise Missiles and Guided
Rockets from Submarines and various floating Navy Ships.  10 to 100  such 
missiles/rockets
(with nuclear weapons aboard) could well level most North Korean  cities.  
The North Korean 
leadership should take note of this.  This is not a kinder and gentler  
scenario.
 
    I wonder what time it is right now on the Clock of the  Bulletin of 
Atomic Scientists???
 
    On a related note, there are rumors on Google News of an  attempt by 
somebody to destroy one of
Iran's Underground Nuclear Enrichment facilities.  I don't know what  the 
truth is.
 
    Hope your work week is going well.
 
    Regards,   Joe Preisig
 
 
 
 
   .   .