Free Republic

The United States has picked up signs of a radioactive gas emitted during the extraction of plutonium from spent fuel rods in atmospheric samples collected near North Korean airspace, a Japanese newspaper reported on March 3. A U.S. WC-135W reconnaissance plane refuels. Traces of Krypton 85 gas, a byproduct of reprocessed nuclear fuel rods, were found in December, the Asahi Shimbun reported, citing sources in Washington. Krypton 85 gas, an isotope that does not exist naturally, is emitted into the atmosphere when spent fuel rods are cut and plutonium extracted. The United States has been monitoring North Korea's nuclear...

U.S. reconnaissance aircraft detect krypton 85 in the atmosphere near the country. WASHINGTON--U.S. spy planes flying near North Korea have detected traces of a radioactive gas emitted during the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods, which could be a possible sign of a secret nuclear facility, sources here said. U.S. intelligence analysts are still trying to determine the significance of finding krypton 85, a radioactive isotope that is a byproduct of reprocessing nuclear fuel rods to extract plutonium, in the atmosphere near North Korea last December. Krypton 85 was also detected in July 2003 when North Korea announced it...

Report: N. Korea takes nuclear step U.S. intelligence: Evidence suggests Pyongyang is reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods July 11 — Air samples collected near North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility contain the first physical evidence that North Korea has begun reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports. July 11 — North Korea has begun to reprocess spent nuclear fuel rods — a critical step to produce more nuclear weapons — an intelligence report delivered to the White House on Thursday suggests, NBC News has learned. U.S. GOVERNMENT officials tell NBC News that air samples collected from the vicinity of...