page_title: Kosmos 954
hierarchical_section_title: Kosmos 954
caption_attribution_description: Cosmos-954 BES-5 type reactor scheme
context_page_description: Kosmos 954 was a reconnaissance satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1977. A malfunction prevented safe separation of its onboard nuclear reactor; when the satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere the following year, it scattered radioactive debris over northern Canada, some of the debris landing in the Great Slave Lake next to Fort Resolution, NWT. This prompted an extensive cleanup operation known as Operation Morning Light.
context_section_description: Kosmos 954 (Russian: Космос 954) was a reconnaissance satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1977.  A malfunction prevented safe separation of its onboard nuclear reactor; when the satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere the following year, it scattered radioactive debris over northern Canada, some of the debris landing in the Great Slave Lake next to Fort Resolution, NWT. This prompted an extensive cleanup operation known as Operation Morning Light.
caption: Schematic of the Kosmos-954 on-board reactor
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