Japan and Ukraine to jointly track Fukushima and Chernobyl NPPs from space

apan and Ukraine will jointly monitor the environment change around the Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi (Fukushima-1) nuclear power plants by means of special satellites, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper announced on Thursday. According to the newspaper, Tokyo University experts have started to develop mini-satellites that will collect information on the areas surrounding the emergency NPPs. With their help, in particular, it will be possible to determine the degree of spreading of radioactive substances, as well as to evaluate the effect they have had on wildlife. The satellites are expected to be launched into orbit by a Ukrainian carrier rocket as early as in 2014. The project of joint space monitoring of areas around the Chernobyl and Fukushima-1 NPPs will be one of the main topics at talks between Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his Ukrainian counterpart Leonid Kozhara. During a three-day visit to Ukraine on August 24-26, the Japanese foreign minister hopes to reach an agreement on the expansion of information exchange between Tokyo and Kiev of the consequences of the NPP accidents. In addition, Kishida intends to personally visit the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Japan is actively applying the experience of the Chernobyl tragedy in the aftermath of the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP, which took place in March 2011. In particular, with taking into account the information gathered by Soviet specialists, the Japanese authorities have worked out the standards for maximum permissible levels of radioactive substances in food, as well as organized mass health checks for residents of Fukushima Prefecture.