Decree No 1039, 15 August 1997 of the Government
of the Russian Federation "On Rules of Notifying Bodies of Executive
Government on Launching a Spacecraft With A Nuclear Power Source,
and Notification of Bodies of Local Self-Management and Provision
of the Necessary Assistance to the Public in the Event of Emergency
Return of Such a Spacecraft to Earth" and the "Rules of Notifying
Bodies of Executive Government on Launching a Spacecraft With A
Nuclear Power Source, and Notification of Bodies of Local Self-Management
and Provision of the Necessary Assistance to the Public in the Event
of Emergency Return of Such a Spacecraft to Earth"
The Decree
Pursuant to Article 43 of the Federal Law "On Use of Atomic
Energy" the Government of the Russian Federation hereby resolves:
1. To approve the appended Rules of Notifying Bodies of Executive
Government on Launching a Spacecraft With A Nuclear Power Source,
and Notification of Bodies of Local Self-Management and Provision
of the Necessary Assistance to the Public in the Event of Emergency
Return of Such a Spacecraft to Earth.
2. That an interdepartmental commission on emergency warning
and recovery shall coordinate the activity of federal bodies of
executive government, bodies of executive government of subjects
of the Russian Federation, and bodies of local self-management concerned
with notifying the public of an emergency aboard a spacecraft with
a nuclear power source, collection, generalization, and analysis
of information on the developing situation, prediction of the scale
and consequences of this craft"s disintegration, and recovery
from the consequences of its emergency return to Earth.
3. That jointly with interested federal bodies of executive
government, the Russian Federation Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies,
and Natural Disasters, the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense,
the Russian Space Agency, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian
Federation Ministry of Health, the Russian Federation State Committee
on Communication and Computerization, and the Russian Federation
State Committee on Environmental Protection shall formulate the
concept of establishment of a unified space emergency warning and
recovery system in 1998 and submit it to the Government of the Russian
Federation.
4. In the event that aircraft with a nuclear power source
are created for missions into Earth atmosphere that cannot be carried
out using nonnuclear power sources, and safe use of these aircraft
is substantiated, the Russian Federation Ministry of Atomic Energy
shall prepare, and submit to the Government of the Russian Federation
in coordination with interested federal bodies of executive government,
a draft proposal on responses to emergencies involving aircraft
with a nuclear plant or radiation source aboard and on recovery
from such emergencies. [Signed] Chairman of the Government
of the Russian Federation V. Chernomyrdin
The Rules
I. General Provisions
1. These Rules shall determine the procedure, content, and
system of notifying federal bodies of executive government, bodies
of executive government of subjects of the Russian Federation, and
bodies of local self-management in the event of emergencies involving
a spacecraft with a nuclear power source aboard, and the basic directions
of the activity of these bodies in rendering assistance to the public
when necessary.
2. Pursuant to the Federal Law "On Use of Atomic Energy" these
Rules shall not apply to military spacecraft with a nuclear power
source.
3. Two types of a nuclear power sources are used aboard spacecraft:
propulsion units with nuclear reactor (reactor nuclear power
sources);
propulsion units with radioactive isotopes and sources of
ionizing radiation employing radioactive isotopes (radioisotope
nuclear power sources)
4. There can be two types of emergencies associated with launching
a spacecraft with a nuclear power source:
an emergency resulting from failure of the launch vehicle
at lift-off or in the powered flight phase (the orbital insertion
phase);
an emergency associated with failure of the spacecraft in
the phase of acceleration from low to high orbit or to an interplanetary
trajectory. Premature descent from high orbit by a spacecraft with
a nuclear power source as a result of a collision with space trash
and subsequent reentry of this spacecraft into Earth atmosphere
is a special variant of such an emergency.
5. In an emergency involving failure of a launch vehicle at
lift-off or in the powered flight phase, a spacecraft with a nuclear
power source can impact on the surface of the Earth together with
the launch vehicle beneath its nose cone, or together with the launch
vehicle without its nose cone, or a spacecraft with a nuclear power
source can impact after disintegration of the launch vehicle, or
the nuclear power source can impact after disintegration of the
launch vehicle and the spacecraft.
6. In an emergency involving failure of the spacecraft in
the phase of the spacecraft"s acceleration from low orbit
to high orbit or to an interplanetary trajectory, decay of the
spacecraft"s
orbit and its reentry into the atmosphere, disintegration of the
spacecraft and of individual components of the nuclear power source,
and impact of parts of the nuclear power source on the Earth surface
can occur.
7. In an emergency caused by collision of a spacecraft with
a nuclear power source with space trash, its partial disintegration,
reentry of the nuclear power source into Earth atmosphere, disintegration
of the nuclear power source, and impact of parts of the nuclear
power source on the Earth surface can occur.
8. In the case of reactor nuclear power sources, different
states of the reactor are typical depending on the type of emergency
and where on the launch vehicle"s trajectory the accident
occurs: survival of an intact reactor, the reactor"s deformation,
disintegration of individual components of the reactor, and total
disintegration of the reactor.
9. Maintenance of integrity and airtightness of nuclear power
source components is typical of all types of emergency situations
associated with radioactive nuclear power sources.
II. Notification of Federal Bodies of Executive Government,
Bodies of Executive Government of Subjects of the Russian Federation,
and Bodies of Local Self-Management
10. Before a spacecraft with a nuclear power source is launched,
the Chairman of the State Spacecraft Launching Commission shall
submit, in accordance with Appendix No 11
:
a notice of the place, time, and date of launching, the track
of the launch vehicle over territory of the Russian Federation,
and a description of the nuclear power source together with a safety
assessment—to federal bodies of executive government and
to the Interdepartmental Commission on Emergency Warning and Recovery
(MVK) in order to permit notification of bodies of executive government
of subjects of the Russian Federation on the territory of which
the spacecraft could impact;
a notice of the spacecraft launch date and a description of
the nuclear power source together with a safety assessment—to
the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs to permit notification
of the United Nations Secretary General in accordance with the principles
of using nuclear power sources in space approved by United Nations
General Assembly Resolution 47/68, 14 December 1992.
11. In the event of an emergency associated with failure of
a launch vehicle at lift-off or in the powered flight phase, the
Chairman of the State Spacecraft Launch Commission shall send a
notice of the time of the accident, the expected region of the launch
vehicle"s, spacecraft"s, and nuclear power source"s
impact, and the possible damage to the launch vehicle, the spacecraft,
and the nuclear power source—to the Interdepartmental Emergency
Warning and Recovery Commission, federal bodies of executive government,
and bodies of executive government of subjects of the Russian Federation,
which shall forward the corresponding information to bodies of local
self-management in accordance with Appendix No 2.1
In the event of an emergency arising during launching of a
spacecraft with a nuclear power source from the Baykonur Cosmodrome
as a result of failure of the launch vehicle at lift-off or in the
initial phase of powered flight, such that the launch vehicle, spacecraft,
and nuclear power source impact on territory of the Republic of
Kazakhstan, the Chairman of the State Spacecraft Launch Commission
shall send a notice to the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to permit notification of the Kazakhstan side.
12. In the event of an emergency arising upon failure of a
spacecraft in the phase of acceleration from a low orbit to a high
orbit or to an interplanetary trajectory, federal bodies of executive
government, bodies of executive government of subjects of the Russian
Federation, bodies of local self-management, foreign states, and
international organizations shall be notified according to procedure
set forth in Appendix No 3.1
The Chairman of the State Spacecraft Launch Commission shall
send a notice to the Interdepartmental Emergency Warning and Recovery
Commission regarding the emergency, together with an indication
of the spacecraft"s flight parameters at the moment of
the accident in order to permit subsequent management of the situation,
prediction of the accident"s consequences, and preparation
of recovery measures.
The Interdepartmental Emergency Warning and Recovery Commission
shall notify:
federal bodies of executive government, bodies of executive
government of subjects of the Russian Federation, and through them,
bodies of local self-management when a spacecraft with a nuclear
power source impacts on territory of the Russian Federation;
the United Nations Secretary General (in accordance with the
principles of using nuclear power sources in space approved by United
Nations General Assembly Resolution 47/68, 14 December 1992), the
International Atomic Energy Agency (pursuant to the Convention on
Nuclear Accident Notification), and foreign states (pursuant to
international agreements of the Russian Federation) via the Russian
Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs when a spacecraft with a
nuclear power source impacts outside the territory of the Russian
Federation.
13. Upon premature descent of spacecraft with nuclear power
sources from high orbits and their subsequent orbital reentry into
Earth atmosphere, the Russian Space Agency"s Central Scientific
Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash) shall send notice
of the accident to the Interdepartmental Accident Warning and Recovery
Commission on the basis of an analysis of data obtained from the
Space Monitoring Center (TsKKP) and the Russian Federation Ministry
of Atomic Energy, in order to permit subsequent management of the
situation and prediction of the accident"s consequences.
Notification shall be done by the Interdepartmental Emergency Warning
and Recovery Commission pursuant to item 12 of these Rules depending
on the place of impact of the spacecraft with a nuclear power source.
14. The Interdepartmental Emergency Warning and Recovery Commission
shall manage the situation and predict the consequences of emergency
return to Earth of a spacecraft with a nuclear power source launched
by a foreign state on the basis of data obtained by the Russian
Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs from a notice provided to
the United Nations Secretary General by the launching state. When
a foreign spacecraft with a nuclear power source falls on territory
of the Russian Federation, notification shall be made by the
Interdepartmental
Emergency Warning and Recovery Commission in accordance with these
Rules.
15. The Russian Federation Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies,
and Natural Disasters shall submit recommendations to bodies of
executive government of the subjects of the Russian Federation on
organizing protection of the public in the region of impact of the
damaged object, and recommendations on determining and monitoring
the radiation situation.
16. The Russian Federation Ministry of Atomic Energy shall
send, to bodies of executive government of subjects of the Russian
Federation, a description of the appearance of the nuclear power
source and its parts, information on the levels of ionizing radiation
from them, and recommendations on searching for the nuclear power
source and its parts, and collecting and transporting them to storage
and salvage points.
17. The Russian Federation Ministry of Defense shall organize
notification of military units to permit monitoring of the radiation
situation in places where forces are stationed.
18. The Russian Federation Ministry of Health shall send
recommendations
to bodies of executive government of subjects of the Russian Federation
on the public"s observance of radiation safety rules and
on consumption of food and water in the region of impact of the
damaged object.
19. Bodies of executive government of subjects of the Russian
Federation shall ensure timely submission of information received
pursuant to items 11, 12, 15, 16, and 18 of these Rules to bodies
of local self-management.
20. Draft recommendations and descriptions sent to bodies
of executive government of subjects of the Russian Federation shall
be prepared by the appropriate federal bodies of executive government
at the time of acquisition of a permit to launch a spacecraft with
a nuclear power source.
21. The Russian Federal Inspectorate for Nuclear and Radiation
Safety shall monitor implementation of all measures to eliminate
and mitigate the consequences of the accident and to render assistance
to the public as far as concerns observance of the rules and regulations
of nuclear and radiation safety.
22. The Russian Federation State Committee for Environmental
Protection shall monitor implementation of all measures to clean
up radioactive contamination in the region of impact of the damaged
object and provision of truthful information on the condition of
the environment to bodies of executive government of subjects of
Russian Federation and to the population.
III. Basic Directions of Activity in Rendering Assistance
to the Public
23. When rendering assistance to the public becomes necessary,
it shall include:
notifying the public regarding the emergency, keeping the
public regularly informed about the situation in the region of impact
of the damaged object and the measures to support radiation safety,
and issuing recommendations and guidelines on behavior in the territory
of this region;
briefing the public on the necessary health precautions;
deploying forces and resources to examine the public and carry
out decontamination as necessary.
24. Special subunits of the Russian Federation Ministry of
Defense shall carry out the work of monitoring the radiation situation
in the region of impact of the damaged object, searching for the
nuclear power source, removing the nuclear power source or its parts
and fragments of the launch vehicle and spacecraft, and when necessary,
decontaminating the terrain.
25. After receiving notification from the Chairman of the
State Spacecraft Launch Commission or from the Interdepartmental
Emergency Warning and Recovery Commission, as well as documents
(recommendations and descriptions) from the appropriate federal
bodies of executive government, bodies of executive government of
subjects of the Russian Federation and bodies of local self-management
shall organize implementation of measures specified by legislation
of the Russian Federation to protect the population and territory,
to include:
establishing the boundaries of the forbidden zone around the
impacted damaged object and providing security to the forbidden
zone and the object;
ensuring observance of radiation safety rules.
26. People near the impacted damaged object shall be examined
and accounted for and assistance shall be rendered to victims by
the forces and resources of organizations of the Russian Federation
Ministry of Health.
27. The environment shall be monitored after the consequences
of impact of the damaged object are eliminated by forces and resources
of organizations of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology
and Environmental Monitoring and the Russian Federation Ministry
of Civil Defense, Emergencies, and Natural Disasters with the help
of subdivisions of this ministry"s observation and laboratory
control network.
Footnote
1. Published in the "Sobraniye Zakonodatelstva Rossiyskoy
Federatsii" [Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation].
RUSSIAN NUCLEAR DOCTRINE AND POLICY