nuclear

The uranium is listed up after the nuclear resurgence. And a company wants to start extracting it in Greenland

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While Trump Keep with your speech to buy Greenlandiamining remains prohibited in the country. However, this decision may change by imposition of a judge. Short. The Energy Transition Minerals (ETM) company, formerly known as Greenland Minerals, has filed a millionaire demand against Greenland for the care of his project at the Kvanefjeld site. The company has demanded that the mine be allowed to exploit or receive compensation of 11.5 billion dollars. The dispute has reached an international arbitration under the dispute resolution system between investors and states (ISDS). The competent court to resolve the case will be the one established under international arbitration agreements between investors and governments. In depth. The company acquired the rights to exploit the Kvanefjeld site. This reserve is one of the largest in the world not exploited that contains uranium and rare earths. However, in 2021, the Greenlandic government prohibited uranium mining. Currently, the lawsuit accuses the country of illegal expropriation and for the moment the case is in international arbitration, initiated in 2022, but has progress slowly due to prolonged disagreements about the procedure. This summer, the referees will decide if they must accept the case. If they do, it is likely to be resolved at the end of this year. Meanwhile, the decision is dividing the population with nearby elections that could change this resolution. The complaint system. This arbitration system, designed originally to protect foreign companies of abuse by governments, it has been increasingly used to demand the states that adopt environmental laws. In several cases, companies They have sought millionaire compensation for the closure of mining projects that considered profitable. In this way, international arbitration It has become In a lucrative area of ​​international law, with multimillionaire payments to companies that require compensation for the losses attributed to regulatory or environmental changes. The history of uranium. Mining has meant a problem For Greenland for pollution. As of 1970, the first deposits of lead and zinc began to exploit, which has caused irreversible damage in the flora and fauna of the area. For this reason, when ETM acquired the rights to exploit the Kvanefjeld area in 2007, the local population was alarmed by the environmental impact it could cause in drinking water and in the farm farms. If the mine reopens. In case they return to work on the project, the exploitation would be done in the open, which implies removing large amounts of rock to extract terbio and neodymium, key metals to manufacture magnets in wind turbines and electric cars. However, in doing so, uranium would also be unearthed, which would generate radioactive waste. From the company itself, has explained to The Guardian that “will use the best environmental practices” whenever it is “technical, practice and financially.” The international game. While Greenland face again To the United States after the statements of the US president to “take the country in any form, now he will have to stay aware of how the trial on the exploitation of the Kvanefjeld site will be resolved. However, this sentence must be seen with magnifying glass, because the company Energy Transition Minerals (ETM) is partially owned by Shenghe Resources, a company backed by the Chinese government. So, Greenland is trapped between the interests of China and the United States. For its part, the government opposing uranium mining, demonstrating Your concern for the environment and the future of the sovereignty of the country. Image | Maggie & David Xataka | It is the fifth time that the US wants to buy Greenland from Denmark. If they asked on the island they would have it clearer

Its breakwill fleet and a “nuclear” force

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The Arctic, that inhospitable place where from time to time comes to the first place of the newspapers, should be a main actor in the coming years in geopolitical code. Actually, it has long been, because it is very possible that the future of energy is literally floating in its icy waters. That knows more about a nation. For example, Russia has announced its decision to put its flag on the enclave with a floating nuclear plant. And if any nation, call the United States, means something, goes with a lot of delay. Global warming and competition. The accelerated thaw in the Arctic has turned the region into a growing scenario Competition between global powers. With temperatures that increase four times faster than in the rest of the planet, the melting of ice has opened new maritime routes and facilitated access to strategic resources such as oil, gas and minerals. However, this phenomenon has increased the demand for icebreakerships specialized in opening the way in frozen waters. Here is a winner by win. Russia has dominated this race for years with a Fleet of dozens of pinkincluding several nuclear propulsion, some armed with cannons. China, although it is not a properly “Arctic” nation, has also increased its presence With four Rompehielos in operation and a latest generation under construction. And Washington? The United States, in contrast, faces a more than serious disadvantage against Moscow in competition for the domain of the Arctic. The reason? A marked disparity in the quantity and capacity of its breaks. While Russia operates approximately 40 of these “monsters”, including seven heavy polar category and eight propelled by nuclear energy, the United States has Just a heavy break Operational, the Polar Starwith almost 50 years old, and two Rompehielos of medium capacity: the Healy and the Storis (the latter will take operation in Alaska next year). The equation is clear: without sufficient breakers, the American Navy has limited access to the Arctic only during the summer months, which restricts its ability to deploy military troops and teams in case of conflict, especially affecting Alaska’s defense, where the 11th Airborne Division of the Army is located. Interests: Strategy and Economics. We said it at the beginning. Beyond territorial defense, access to the Arctic has become key to the Natural Resources Exploitation and the opening of new commercial routes, facilitated by the melting of ice due to climate change. Russia, with its superiority in the region, could consolidate a de facto domain over these resources before the United States, which has generated fears in Washington. In addition, Donald Trump’s interest in strengthening the American presence in the Arctic is also related to his desire to expand the territory of the countryeven considering economically To Canada and Greenland to annex or submit them to greater influence. The Russian Nuclear Rompehielos “Taymyr” American failure. Trump proposed acquire 40 new breaks To close the gap with Russia, but this idea seems unrealistic given the current state of the US naval industry. Currently, Washington barely manages to advance in the construction of three new heavy breaks, a process that has suffered important delays and cost overruns. From the end of the Cold War, the Arctic ceased to be a priority for the United States, which led to the paralysis of the development of your fleet. Finally and after activating it again, the Polar Security Cutters program, started in 2019, has exceeded its budget by 60%, reaching 5.1 billion dollars, and the delivery of its first ship, the Polar Sentinel, It is not expected before 2030. The construction of Rompehielos has therefore become a kind of “lost art” in the United States, which further aggravates the problem. Technological differences and Russian power. Here is one of the keys. Rompehielos require reinforced helmets and high -power engines to break through the ice, which implies high energy consumption. Russia has solved this problem with Its nuclear breakwill fleetunique in the world, which allows you to operate in the Arctic without fuel restrictions. In contrast, the United States lacks this type of nuclear breakwoods, and although China plans to develop one in the future, Washington does not have similar projects in progress. Russia and China. Russia has maintained a strategic approach in the Arctic due to the importance of the region for its economy, since more than 80% of its natural gas production and 20% of its oil production come from this area. Moscow has promoted the opening of the North Sea route to facilitate the transport of these resources to Asian and European markets, consolidating their influence in the region. There is more, since despite the sanctions imposed by the West after the invasion of Ukraine, which have made it difficult to obtain key components such as propulsion systems and radar equipment, Moscow Keep expanding its advantage. His new nuclear rosebielos rossiya has suffered three -year delaysbut the country continues to lead in operational experience and territorial control in the Arctic. In addition, he has found in China A key ally. Beijing, with the largest naval industry in the world, has begun to invest in the construction of Rompehielos Already provide technology to Moscow, which increases your own interest in the polar region. A revealing fact: a Chinese shipyard took only two years to build a recently broken, while the United States has barely started working in its new model, five years after awarding the contract. Impact on the economy. It is another of the legs to be treated. The Rompehielos deficit also affects the United States economy in other regions, such as The Great Lakes and the North Atlanticwhere the lack of capacity of these vessels has caused economic losses of billions of dollars and the elimination of thousands of jobs. Despite the urgency of modernizing its fleet, the United States faces industrial limitations that make a short -term solution unlikely. American solutions. Thus, the things and the inability of the US naval industry to produce the required speed, an alternative would be … Read more

Germany gets serious with nuclear fusion. His energy model shouts that this ‘Stellarator’ reactor works

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The experimental reactors of nuclear fusion of type Stellarator They represent a very solid alternative to Tokamakas ITER either JET. And they are not precisely the result of a recent investigation. In fact, both designs were designed During the 50s of the last century. He Stellarator It was designed by the American physicist Lyman Spitzer and exercised as the foundations on which the Plasma Physics Laboratory of Princeton University (USA) was built. The design TokamakHowever, it was devised by Soviet physicists igor Yevguénievich Tamm and Andréi DMítrievich Sájarov from the ideas proposed a few years before by his colleague Oleg Lavrentiev. Both reactors were conceived with the purpose of confine Stellarator He received great support from the scientific community in the West due to its enormous potential. However, when Soviet and American scientists published their results and compared them, they realized that Tokamak design performance It was one or two orders of magnitude better than that of Stellarator. From that moment on, this last design was largely marginalized. The most obvious difference between one and the other lies in its geometry, but it is enough to investigate both to realize that the reactors Stellarator They still have a lot to say. Proxima Fusion has put a date to its demonstration fusion plant Type reactors Tokamak They have a toroid form (or donut), and Stellarator They have a more complex geometry that resembles them to a twisted donut on itself. However, the fundamental difference between these two designs is that the reactors Tokamak They require that the magnetic fields that confine plasma be generated by coils and induced by plasma itself, while in the reactors Stellarator Everything is done with coils. There is no current within the plasma. This means, in short, that the latter are more complex and difficult to build. In February 2023, the Wendelstein 7-X reactor managed In Europe we have a type fusion reactor Stellarator extraordinarily promising: el Wendelstein 7-X. It is installed in one of the buildings that the Max Planck Institute has for Plasma Physics in Greifswald (Germany), and its construction concluded in 2015. The first tests carried out in this fusion reactor between 2015 and 2018 came out as planned, so in November of this last year An important moment arrived in his itinerary: It was necessary to modify it to install a water cooling system that was able to evacuate more effectively the residual thermal energy of the vacuum chamber walls, as well as a system that allowed the plasma to reach a higher temperature. The works that required these modifications concluded successfully in August 2022. And in February 2023 the Wendelstein 7-X reactor reached an important milestone: it managed to confine and stabilize the plasma for 8 uninterrupted minutes in which it delivered a total energy of 1.3 gigajultos. During the last two years everything learned in the development and the first tests carried out in this machine has been used by the German emerging company Proxima Fusion. In fact, its founders come from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics. His work is being financed by Germany, the European Union, and also by several private entities of venture capital. And it’s going very well. In fact, fusion physicists and engineers have published a scientific article in Fusion Engineering and Design which has already been reviewed by pairs and in which they detail the design of Stellaris, its reactor prototype Stellarator commercial. Your next step requires Build a demonstration power plant From its design that should be ready in 2031. Yes, in just six years. I hope you get it. If Alpha, which is what this test power plant will be called, the commercial fusion energy will be a reality before the next decade is completed. This is the authentic purpose of next fusion. Image | Proxima Fusion More information | Fusion Engineering and Design In Xataka | In France, an alternative to Iter in Nuclear Fusion is being cooking: a commercial ‘Stellarator’ reactor

It is a critical milestone to get to nuclear fusion

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Imagining a world with clean and inexhaustible energy is no longer just science fiction. France has achieved a unique milestone to maintain a plasma reaction in minutes. An unprecedented advance. On February 12 in France, the West reactor of the Atomic Energy Commission and Alternative Energies (CEA) has managed to maintain a plasma For more than 22 minutes (1,337 seconds), thus beating the previous record of plasma duration reached with a tokamak. This represented an improvement of 25% with respect to the previous record time achieved with EAST, in China, which reached 1,066 seconds (17 minutes) a few weeks before. In addition, the plasma reached a temperature of 50 million degrees Celsius. In depth. This achievement has shown that magnetic confinement technology is moving forward, allowing reactors to sustain the extreme conditions necessary for nuclear fusion for longer periods. The longer the plasma is controlled, the closer we will be generating fusion energy continuously, reliable and commercially viable. To achieve that time and control plasma, the Eurofusion consortium scientists They have applied a combination of strategies, such as temperatures between 100 and 150 million ° C, 2MW injection of thermal power and the use of superconductive coils and cooled components. In addition, the materials were protected, minimizing erosion and contamination of the internal components of the reactor. Why nuclear fusion? Nuclear fusion It is considered the “Holy Grail” of energy because it does not produce long -term radioactive waste, unlike nuclear fission. Besides, Use less resourcesIt has a practically inexhaustible fuel and could generate clean and stable energy without carbon emissions. Magnetic confinement technology in Tokamaks is the most advanced today and is considered the most viable path to obtain merger energy. A global effort. The study of nuclear fusion and seeking its stability is being given in different parts of the world. Starting with ITERthe experimental reactor that an international consortium led by Europe is building in the French town of Cadarache. On the same continent a little higher in Germany and in France themselves are exploring other alternatives such as type reactors Stellarator. Out of the European Union, in the United Kingdom, the JET It was for years the referent in generation of fusion energy, closed in 2023 after providing key data for the development of the future Iter. In Asia, in Japan, the JT-60SA It is a joint project with Europe that seeks to optimize plasma stability. In China, the reactor East It has broken temperature and duration records of the plasma, approaching necessary conditions for commercial fusion. For its part, KstarIn South Korea, he has managed to keep plasma at extreme temperatures for prolonged periods. Forecasts West’s record has shown that magnetic confinement technology in Tokamaks could approach The possibility of building viable commercial reactors. In addition, this progress has shown that the knowledge of the plasmas and the technological control of them for longer periods is maturing and offers the hope that merger plasmas can stabilize for longer periods in machines such as The iter. Image | CEA Xataka | Spain’s milestone in nuclear fusion: the first plasma produced by the Smart reactor invites us to optimism

They were nuclear weapons experts

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The Government Efficiency Department (Doge) led by Elon Musk does not supply say goodbye to all officials That, according to the greatest fortune of the planet, there are plenty of administration. In his last intervention, the Doge agents They fired about 350 officials of the Department of Energy. What they did not know is that they were sending specialists at home nuclear eyelet assembly and control of weapons and nuclear waste. Nuclear layoffs. According to published CBS News, Doge employees thought that last Thursday they were saying employees in the test period or simple administrative department of the Department of Energy, without stopping to ask what their work really was. However, hundreds of federal employees who work in the United States nuclear weapons programs also received their dismissal notification. According to sources of The Associated Press Near to the Department of Energy, up to 350 employees of the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) were dismissed unexpectedly. Some of them lost access to their email before being formally notified or could not access their job with their credentials. The NSA is the entity responsible for managing the country’s nuclear weapons, among other crucial responsibilities. Specialists in nuclear eyelets. One of the facilities most affected by Doge’s layoffs was the Pantex plant, near Yellow (Texas), which suffered a 30% template cut without prior notice. In this plant, employees are dedicated to the reensamblage of nuclear eyelets, a high specialization task that requires the highest levels of security authorization. The agency’s interim director, Teresa Robbins, sent a statement to the dismissed employees annuling the dismissal order, has caused enormous confusion throughout the agency. However, 28 officials were not readmitted. “This letter serves as a formal notification that the termination decision issued on February 13, 2025 has been terminated, with an immediate effect,” said the memorandum obtained by AP. Dismiss first, then ask. Given the nature of these dismissals, the discretion used by the department led by Elon Musk, when saying goodbye to officials without previously analyzing the scope of their work, has been revealed. That action pattern carries the Elon Musk’s unequivocal seal. He did it With the Development Department of the Tesla Supercores, and then hire them again because the service had been paralyzed. He did the same With the Twitter moderation department Chaos in a strategic department. “The people of Doge arrive without having the slightest idea of ​​what are the responsibilities of these departments. They do not seem to realize that, in reality, it is more about the department of nuclear weapons than the department of energy,” said Daryl Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association. A senior NSA official, Rob Plonski, also expressed concern about dismissals in a LinkedIn publication: “This is a crucial moment. We must decide whether we are truly committed to leading on the world stage or if we content to undermine the same systems that ensure the future of our nation.” Plonski warned that “cutting the federal workforce responsible for these functions can be seen as reckless in the best and adversely opportunistic in the worst.” CONSEQUENCES FOR THE NUCTILE FORCE OF US. The layoffs and subsequent readmission of the employees of the Department of Energy have planted the seed of uncertainty among those officials, and some are rethinking whether to work back in the agency. “The main impact was a blow to the morals and trust of the employees who were dismissed,” assured to CNN A nearby source. Many of them have dedicated their entire career to nuclear programs, becoming a valuable asset of knowledge in this area. These layoffs have only come to aggravate the constant loss they had already suffered after a recent wave of retirement, which has already meant a loss of qualified talent in this department, just when the US is carrying out an important effort of Modernization of nuclear weapons of 750,000 million dollars. Edwin LymanDirector of Nuclear Energy Security of the Union of Concertned Scientists (UCS), explained to CBS News that layoffs could “alter the daily functioning of the agency and create a sense of instability about the nuclear program both in the US and abroad. That can only benefit the adversaries of this country.” In Xataka | A government “Extremely Hardcore”: Elon Musk is applying to the US the same recipe that has applied to all its companies Image | ThE White HouseUnited States Department of Defense

Kazakhstan is one of the world’s greatest uranium producers. Now has taken another step: its first nuclear power plant

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In the geopolitical board of energy, the domain is not only measured in oil barrels or cubic meters of gas. There is a resource, silent but powerful, which is redefining the current panorama: uranium. While some countries look desperately reduce your energy dependenceothers have understood that true power lies in controlling not only the raw material, but the entire nuclear cycle. Russia has already taken the lead with A dozen centrals Under construction, but now Its largest supplier He also wants to become a strategic actor. New actor. Kazakhstan has decided to accelerate its nuclear development to address its growing shortage of energy. The government has approved the construction of Your first nuclear power plant and a plan to expand its nuclear industry. A referendum in October 2024 showed that 70% Voters support the construction of nuclear plants. This first nuclear power plant will be located in the village of ülken, in the Almath region. The government intends to build at least three more floors to make the most of its resources. Currently, feasibility studies and negotiations with international suppliers are being carried out to determine the technical and financial details of the project. The main financing will come from a Russian government loan with subsidies, and Samruk Energo It will lead the negotiations to guarantee cost efficiency. Energy shortage. The Kazakh country wants to reduce its energy dependence and face a growing internal demand. Despite being one of the countries with greater uranium reservesIt does not have an operational nuclear power plant since 1999. However, it manufactures pumping equipment for nuclear plants and seeks to expand the national production of reactor components and energy equipment. This strategy is aligned with the objectives of carbon neutrality and industrial modernization. An energy cluster. The government seeks to develop a “Nuclear cluster” that not only includes the energy plant, but also the local production of nuclear fuel. To do this, he has formed alliances with China and France. In addition, for nuclear reactors, it will have technology suppliers such as the Galo and South Korean country. The central will probably have a capacity of at least 3 GW, and more plants will be built in the future. Kazakhstan will also strengthen its electrical networks and better connect the western region with the national system. So what happens to Russia? The Kremlin remains an important actor in the global nuclear sector and has supplied Kazakhstan nuclear technology in the past. However, within the country, the concern that an agreement with Rosatom (the Russian nuclear agency) generates excessive dependence, both in technological and financial terms. The opposition has expressed fears that Russia use nuclear energy as an instrument of geopolitical influence. Problems in the past. Nuclear energy in the country has constituted a delicate issue due to the effects of Soviet nuclear tests in the region of Semipalatinsk. For that reason, as indicated Professor Kashi Nath Pandita, concerns about security and lack of transparency in regulatory processes are brought on the path of progress. Forecasts The project can be finished in the next decade, but advance it. However, the country still faces different challenges such as public distrust, environmental concerns and the need to choose a technological partner without compromising its independence. In the long term, this expansion could position Kazakhstan as an energy leader in Central Asia, reducing its vulnerability to regional energy instability and strengthening its presence in global competition for the control of energy resources. Image | Unspash Xataka | Plutonium underground: the British bet to handle nuclear waste safely

Nuclear energy has given you a key advantage that you are already taking advantage of

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“I have a good friend on the other side of the ocean that says: ‘PERFORA, HAR Emmanuel Macron said this week in reference to Trump’s efforts to increase oil extraction. “But here it is not necessary to pierce. Here is only: ‘Plug, honey, plug!’ Electricity is availableyou just have to connect, ”added the French president during a summit on artificial intelligence (AI) held in Paris. The message is quite clear and reflects France’s intention to take advantage of its energy ecosystem as a strategic advantage to consolidate its role in the development of AI. The European country exported More than 90 Teravatios Hora (TWH) of electricity in 2024, which, according to the Government, allows it not only to cover the current needs of its companies and homes, but also host a large number of data centers. Nuclear energy, the key of France The aforementioned declaration of intentions has come accompanied by two ambitious agreements. As we pointed out at the end of last week, The United Arab Emirates committed themselves to make a multimillion -dollar investment in France to build a data center of 1 Gigavatio within a Largest AI campus in Europe. Yesterday Monday The announcement was formalized From the cloud AI platform Fluidstack. Fluidstack, a British firm with clients such as Mistral AI and Character.AI, plans to establish a 1 gigavatio data center on Gallic floor, completely driven by nuclear energy. It is expected that the first phase of the project, promoted by 10,000 million dollars (10,360 million dollars) to materialize in 2026. The agreement, which bears the signing of several French ministers, leaves the door open to later stages in 2028. As in many parts of the world, building a data center in France implies challenges, including bureaucracy. To facilitate the process, the Government has assured that the National Electric Management Company will guarantee the necessary supply. As a whole, this should be translated not only in a better position in France in the AI ​​career, but also the creation of “thousands of jobs” of research and infrastructure. France’s relationship with nuclear energy has evolved over time. A decade ago, the country announced a plan to reduce its dependence on this source from 70% to 50%, but in 2022 the strategy took a turn and the initiative was discarded. Instead of limiting its use, the government chose to expand it with the construction of new reactors. Currently, France has 57 reactors distributed in 18 plants. These movements are allowing the country led by Macron to gain advantage over other countries in the region and the world. Although data centers can operate with ENergía Solar and Windthe intermittency of these sources raises additional challenges. Nuclear energy, on the other hand, guarantees a stable supply and large scale. In addition, the new generation of small modular reactors (SMR) reinforces this scenario. Images | Heyee | MasterButler (CC by 2.0) In Xataka | Spain plans to close all its nuclear power plants. And the Valencian Community thinks it is a serious mistake

What countries have nuclear weapons and how many each one possesses, summarized in an eloquent graphic

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The final judgment clock was never closer of the end in its 78 years of history. Also known as ‘Watch of the end of the world’ or ‘Apocalypse clock’, it is a symbolic clock that indicates the danger of a nuclear war. The closer to midnight, the situation is worse, and it is something that has to do so much with global instability, geopolitical tensions and, obviously, Countries with Nuclear Arsenal. And in this graph we can see very clearly what are those countries that control more nuclear heads and, above all, which of them have nuclear armament deployed and ready to use. The photo. A few days ago we published a graph in which we could appreciate the evolution of nuclear arsenal over time. The figures were surprising, with more than 70,000 nuclear heads at the high point of the Cold War. After different disarmament policies, the main powers – United and Russian states – got rid of their arsenal, but not at all. In the upper chart elaborated By visual capitalist, we can appreciate who the powers are in nuclear arsenal (no surprise in this regard) and which country is accelerating. In addition, something very interesting is also how these nuclear heads are distributed. Ojivas disposition. When talking about nuclear arsenal, it tells as many units a country and their disposal. Thus, we can distinguish between: Ojivas deployed: They are installed in intercontinental missiles, heavy bombers bases or short -range operating systems. They are those that are deployed in case of emergency and these may be at strategic or non -strategic points in short -range bases or platforms. Ojivas in reserve: They are stored, but not mounted on a missile. Ojivas withdrawal: They are intact, but in the process of dismantling. Inventory. Although the graph leaves the imagination little, it is always more interesting to see the figures. Of the 12,121 nuclear heads estimated there are today, this is your disposition: Total Strategically deployed Not strategically deployed booking Withdrawal Russia 5,580 1,710 0 2,670 1,200 USA 5,044 1,670 100 1.938 1,336 China 500 24 0 476 0 France 290 280 0 10 0 United Kingdom 225 120 0 105 0 India 172 0 0 172 0 Pakistan 170 0 0 170 0 Israel 90 0 0 90 0 North Korea 50 0 0 50 0 China growth. In the end, Russia and the United States monopolize 88% of all world nuclear arsenal, but although we have countries such as the United Kingdom or France with a large number of heads deployed at strategic points, there is a new player who has already done with the third Put in Nuclear Arsenal. China It surprised the United States last year due to its rapid nuclear growth In recent years, overcoming expectations and with An arsenal between 500 and 600 heads. They have deployed only 24, with the rest in reserve, but the objectives of the Asian giant are clear: match the United States and Russia in the next 10 years. Cold War II. Although China, precisely, is promoting pacts not to attack first With nuclear arsenal, time plays against. In January last year, the Watch of the Final Judgment was alarmingly located only 90 seconds of midnight. This year, 78 seconds, marking the closest point in history. This fact, although it may seem symbolic, reflects an increasingly unstable international panorama. To this concern is added the imminent expiration of Start III treaty In 2026, a key agreement that has limited for years the amount of strategic weapons deployed by nuclear powers. The situation is aggravated if we consider Russia to He disconnected of this treaty in 2022, after the deterioration of its relations with the West Due to the conflict in Ukraineopening the door to a new arms race without clear restrictions. In Xataka | The US has found the recipe for China and Russia’s nuclear advance. It is called Project 25 and reintroduces a pump of the past: B83

Throughout the twentieth century, the US “lost” up to six planes loaded with nuclear weapons. Today they still do not appear

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A few years ago we told a story that, if not because it was completely true, could go through the script of a black comedy. It turns out that The United States lost at least three nuclear bombs during the Cold War. The Plot Twist was never located. The story, in reality, is much worse. The nation has been left along the way, which is known, up to six nuclear “bombs”, and that is also known, continue in the same place where they once lost. Six times, know. The figures are even higher if we observe the frame more widely. Throughout history, the United States Army has been responsible for At least 32 documented incidents of accidents with nuclear weaponsknown in military jargon Like Broken Arrow. These events may involve accidental launch or detonation, theft or even the loss of a nuclear pump. We are going to detail this last case for a simple reason: if they have been lost and not detonated, they can be a danger somewhere. These are six of the most shocking cases in which a nuclear bomb disappeared Without leaving a trace. The B-36 incident. The story takes place About the Pacific on February 13, 1950. In the context of a nuclear attack simulation against the Soviet Union, a BOMBARDERO B-36 destined for Texas from Alaska began experiencing failures in the engines in full flight. Since a safe landing was impossible, the crew was forced to get rid of the “load”, including in the equation its Mark 4 nuclear pump on some part of the Pacific Ocean. According to the army, the bomb did not contain plutonium in its nucleus, so it could not generate a nuclear explosion to use, although it did have uranium and TNT. Neither the pump nor its components were ever recovered. The mysterious case of B-47. The facts are given on The Mediterranean on March 10, 1956. A BUMBARERO B-47 STRATOJET He took off from the Macdill Air Force base in Florida in the direction of Morocco, transporting two nuclear capsules. What happened? That during its journey, the plane had to refue in flight over the Mediterranean Sea, but never reached the meeting point. The aircraft disappeared without leaving any traceand to date no evidence of his whereabouts has been found or, of course, of the nuclear load he transported. A lost bomb in the Savannah River. The third event occurred on February 5, 1958. During a simulated combat mission, a BOMBARDERO B-47 accidentally crashed with a F-86 huntingseriously damaged. What happened? Given the impossibility of landing safely, the crew decided what you are imagining: launch the Mark 15 of 3,400 kilograms at the mouth of the Savannah Rivernear the city of Savannah, Georgia. Although the aircraft managed to land without incident, the pump was never recovered and remains missing until today. The Goldsboro catastrophe. History now leads us to North Carolina on January 24, 1961. A BOMBARDERO B-52 that performed an alert mission suffered a structural failure in full flight and broke in the air. Again, on board he carried two nuclear bombs. One of them activated its emergency parachute and landed without detonating, however, the other crashed into the ground. Although the government claimed to have recovered most of the starry bomb, the truth is that It is still believed that parts of it remain buried in a culture area near the city. In 2012, North Carolina erected a commemorative sign at the accident site. Disappearance in the Pacific. The December 5, 1965. A combat plane A-4E Skyhawkequipped with a nuclear bomb, fell into the sea From the USS Ticonderoga aircraft carrier while operating in the Philippines sea, near Japan. The aircraft, the pilot and the weapon were never found. In this regard, in 1989 The United States admitted that the bomb was still at the bottom of the seaabout 128 kilometers from a small Japanese island, which generated outrage between the Japanese government and environmental groups. Classified information. The last of the events is the most diffuse of all and occurred in the spring of 1968, when the United States lost a nuclear weapon whose scope (and load) has never been specified. Although the pentagon has never revealed details, It is speculated that it could be related to the USS Scorpion nuclear submarinethe same as It disappeared in May of that year in the Atlantic along with a crew of 99 people. The connection between the disappearance of scorpion And a possible loss of nuclear weapons is still the subject of conjecture. That said, this and the rest of the incidents highlight the dangers associated with the management of nuclear weapons. If you want also, they show that, Throughout the Cold War And beyond, the United States has faced situations in which mass destruction bombs have been lost without being recovered. Image | Kelly Michals In Xataka | The United States lost at least three nuclear bombs during the Cold War. And they have never been located In Xataka | An unprecedented nuclear arms career has begun: one in which the US, Russia … and also China participate

China is advancing at breakneck speed in nuclear fusion. It already has something ready that until now only the Netherlands had

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The path to a destination as challenging as it is nuclear fusion commercial must necessarily be full of small conquests. Of achievements that may seem modest, but that, in reality, are milestones that put us a little closer of an ambitious objective that seeks nothing more than to help us solve our energy needs without continuing to emit greenhouse gases. In this context ITER attracts much of the attention. And it is understandable that this is so. After all, it is a project of enormous magnitude, which is also led by the European Union. In fact, this organization is jointly assuming approximately 50% of the total cost of a plan in which the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India and South Korea also participate. However, the public commitment to nuclear fusion is not condensed solely into ITER. And it is not limited only to the European Union either. Not at all. Europe is signing up very important scientific milestonesbut there are other countries that are also bidding very high, and that, precisely, do not move in the orbit of the West. In fact, two of them, probably the most advantaged, are China and South Korea. China has a very sophisticated linear plasma generator to advance fusion In the field of nuclear fusion, plasma is the extremely hot gas that contains the nuclei of deuterium and tritium, the two isotopes of hydrogen, which are involved in the reaction. For these nuclei to overcome their natural electrical repulsion and the strong nuclear interaction to fuse them, they must acquire a very high kinetic energy. And this is only possible if the plasma reaches a temperature equal to or greater than 150 million degrees Celsius. As we can guess, very few known materials are capable of withstanding such a high temperature. However, this is not all. When a deuterium nucleus fuses with a tritium nucleus, they produce a helium nucleus and a neutron that is ejected with an energy of about 14 MeV (megaelectronvolts). The problem is that the neutron lacks a net electrical charge, so it cannot be confined inside the magnetic field which, however, does manage to retain the deuterium and tritium nuclei, which have a positive electrical charge. The components that will be most affected by the direct impact of high-energy neutrons and the most intense heat flow are the inner wall of the vacuum chamber and the mantle. This is the reason why when it originates as a result of the nuclear fusion reaction, this neutron is ejected towards the walls of the vacuum chamber with enormous energy. This particle is very important because in practice it will be closely linked to the production of electrical energy in nuclear fusion reactors, but, at the same time, it represents a very aggressive form of radiation that can significantly degrade the materials used in the reactor. . The components that will be most affected by the direct impact of high-energy neutrons and the most intense heat flow are the inner wall of the vacuum chamber and the blanketwhich is a mantle that covers it and whose purpose is regenerate tritium which is necessary to use as fuel in the nuclear fusion reaction. This is why it is crucial to develop new materials that are able to withstand the neutron flux and therefore ensure that the reactor will have a long operational life. Until now, only the Netherlands had a device capable of generating a high-flow plasma similar to what occurs in the vacuum chamber of a nuclear fusion reactor. But now China has it too. The Hefei Institute of Physical Sciences has successfully built a highly advanced linear plasma generator capable of accurately recreating the extreme conditions found inside fusion reactors. Its purpose is to use it to test candidate materials to be used in vacuum chamber constructionfor which it is essential to subject them to the interaction of plasma. Fortunately, China has confirmed that this machine will be available for international collaboration. Image | Hefei Institutes of Physical Science More information | Hefei Institutes of Physical Science In Xataka | Spain’s milestone in nuclear fusion: the first plasma produced by the SMART reactor invites us to optimism

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