Free Republic

Our Most Serious National Security Threat Isn’t Russian Nukes In Space, It’s Intelligence Agencies In WashingtonThe hysteria on Capitol Hill over Russian nukes in space was a cheap ploy to ram through Ukraine aid and kill FISA reform.It was a busy day in Washington on Wednesday as the intelligence bureaucracy tried to foment a national security panic over Russian nukes in space in hopes of ramming through the Ukraine aid package and killing reforms designed to curb its power to spy on Americans.Lest you think that sounds crazy, consider the timing of the panic provocations, which came almost immediately after...

The U.S. believes Russia wants to put a nuclear weapon in space, according to reports sparked by a top Republican warning about a 'serious national security threat'. House Intel Chair Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio said members of Congress had been made aware of the threat which is reported to be related to Russia and its threat from space - but wouldn't go into details. It later emerged that it was related to Moscow's plan to put a nuclear weapon into space to target and destroy satellites the world depends on, ABC News reported. Turner asked the president to declassify...

The nation that made it to the Moon in 12 years now struggles to build a satellite in that time and is at risk of losing its preeminence in space. Those words come from one of the top four space intelligence lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, chairman of the House Select technical and tactical intelligence subcommittee, who spoke before an audience of some 1,200 intelligence practitioners and industry at the Geoint annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. Ruppersburger noted that 20 years ago the U.S. had 70 percent of the commercial satellite market which is now down to...

Need to cross the ocean of space with enough oomph and energy to get to Jupiter? Bring in the Navy. That’s what NASA and its Project Prometheus has done by partnering with the Department of Energy’s Naval Reactors (NR) Program. The joint effort, reported last month by SPACE.com, was formally announced March 17. An early target for the collaboration is a space-rated nuclear reactor for the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) mission. JIMO will visit Jupiter's three icy moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. NR brings 50-plus years of practical experience in compact, long-lived reactor systems carried on submarines and aircraft...