Collisions in Space, Collisions at Sea
What's with the collisions? Last week between two satellites, a US and Russian, in space and earlier this month between two submarines, French and British.
Not only is space getting crowded, so, apparently, are the oceans and the rest of the planet.
The NYTimes reports: "Two nuclear submarines, one French and the other British, collided in mid-Atlantic earlier this month, reports in the British and French news media said on Monday, quoting sources in the two defense ministries.
"Both submarines were damaged extensively but have returned to their home ports since the collision on the night of February 3, the reports said.
"But what little is known about the collision suggests that the two vessels were fortunate to have avoided a more serious outcome, including sinking. Although defense officials in London and Paris gave no indication of where the collision occurred, the fact that it took Le Triomphant three days to limp back to its home port after the collision, a detail disclosed by French officials, suggested the two craft had been far out at sea."
Too much dangerous hardware in space, and too much dangerous military hardware on and under the sea may someday, in the not too distant future, cause a catastrophe to this planet and its inhabitants.
Not only is space getting crowded, so, apparently, are the oceans and the rest of the planet.
The NYTimes reports: "Two nuclear submarines, one French and the other British, collided in mid-Atlantic earlier this month, reports in the British and French news media said on Monday, quoting sources in the two defense ministries.
"Both submarines were damaged extensively but have returned to their home ports since the collision on the night of February 3, the reports said.
"The French vessel, Le Triomphant, was said to have suffered severe damage to its sonar dome, housing equipment crucial to navigation and tracking of other ships. The British craft, H.M.S. Vanguard, was towed back to its home port at Faslane in Scotland with “very visible dents and scrapes,” the BBC reported.
"The two submarines are at the core of their countries’ nuclear forces, each carrying a battery of intercontinental ballistic missiles equipped with multiple warheads. None of the media reports suggested there had been any risk of the collision accidentally triggering the missiles, which can be launched only after complex procedures designed to make the missiles fail-safe in the event of accidents.
"But what little is known about the collision suggests that the two vessels were fortunate to have avoided a more serious outcome, including sinking. Although defense officials in London and Paris gave no indication of where the collision occurred, the fact that it took Le Triomphant three days to limp back to its home port after the collision, a detail disclosed by French officials, suggested the two craft had been far out at sea."
Too much dangerous hardware in space, and too much dangerous military hardware on and under the sea may someday, in the not too distant future, cause a catastrophe to this planet and its inhabitants.
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