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The Soviet nuclear-powered satellite Cosmos 954 disintegrated over Canada's Nort
1978 Event

January 24

Soviet Nuclear Satellite Burns Up Over Canada: Radioactive Debris Everywhere

The Soviet nuclear-powered satellite Cosmos 954 disintegrated over Canada's Northwest Territories, scattering radioactive debris across 124,000 square kilometers of frozen wilderness. A massive joint Canadian-American cleanup operation called Operation Morning Light recovered only 1% of the wreckage despite months of searching. The incident produced the first international claim under space liability law, with Canada billing the Soviet Union $6 million for cleanup costs.

January 24, 1978

48 years ago

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