Cosmos 954, a Soviet nuclear-powered satellite launched in September 1977 in Kazakhstan, re-entered the earth's atmosphere in the early morning hours of 24 January 1978. The United States, which had mobilized its nuclear emergency response team (NEST) in early January, and Canada, which activated its Nuclear Accident Support Team (NAST) on 20 January, responded. Their search activities, under the designation "Operation Morning Light," determined that radioactive satellite debris had survived re-entry and reached the ground. Their subsequent clean-up operations sought to safeguard the welfare of Northern Canadians living in the affected area. By critically evaluating the methods, equipment, and personnel employed during Morning Light, this recently declassified military report - published for the first |