Latest news with #DeckerEveleth
Newsweek
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
North Korea Using Balloons To Salvage Doomed Warship: Analyst
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New satellite imagery shows North Korea deploying what appear to be balloons to assist in the recovery of a navy ship that had keeled over during its launch last week—an accident that has embarrassed leader Kim Jong Un. Newsweek reached out to the North Korean Embassy in Beijing by email with a request for comment. Why It Matters Pyongyang is building out its military amid flaring tensions with Seoul. Kim has cited joint war games between South Korea and its U.S. ally as "provocations" that justify the modernization efforts—including the country's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. The new vessel, a guided-missile destroyer, was meant to be a symbol of national prestige amid efforts to strengthen the Korean People's Navy, which is largely composed of aging warships and smaller fast-attack craft. The damaged destroyer was the second to be constructed, with the first one—the Cho Hyon—reportedly undergoing weapons testing late last month. An image captured on May 22, 2025, by U.S. commercial satellite company Planet shows North Korea's new navy destroyer, which capsized on launch on May 21 at Hambuk Shipyard in the northern port city of... An image captured on May 22, 2025, by U.S. commercial satellite company Planet shows North Korea's new navy destroyer, which capsized on launch on May 21 at Hambuk Shipyard in the northern port city of Chongjin. More Planet Labs PBC What To Know The stricken destroyer dislodged from the slipway on Wednesday—"a serious accident," according to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. The launch ceremony in the northeastern city of Chongjin had been overseen by Kim himself, KCNA said. Images supplied to Newsweek by the U.S. commercial satellite firm Planet showed much of the ship—apparently partially submerged—covered in blue tarpaulins in an apparent attempt to conceal damage to the vessel's hull. North Korea appears to be attempting to lift up their destroyer with methods inspired by Pixar's hit 2009 film Up. Note the numerous balloons in the air above the destroyer. — Decker Eveleth (@dex_eve) May 25, 2025 Additional satellite imagery shared on Sunday by Decker Eveleth, a strategic forces analyst at the the Center for Naval Analyses, a Virginia think tank, appeared to show several balloons floating overhead as part of efforts to right the 5,000-ton vessel. "North Korea appears to be attempting to lift up their destroyer with methods inspired by Pixar's hit 2009 film Up. Note the numerous balloons in the air above the destroyer," Eveleth wrote. The same balloon objects have been visible in satellite imagery since Friday, according to posts on X. North Korea's KCNA said the damage was not as serious as initially reported, and that efforts were underway to pump water out of a flooded chamber. Western analysts, however, are doubtful that Pyongyang will be able to meet the stated salvage timeline of "10-odd days." What People Have Said Korean Central News Agency: "At the scene of the destroyer launch accident, the work for completely restoring the balance of the warship is being actively conducted under the technical guidance of an expert group according to its schedule." Jennifer Jun, imagery analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told The War Zone: "Even if North Korea manages to right the vessel within the '10-odd days,' restoring its original capabilities will almost certainly take longer. I'd also be remiss not to mention that given the political stakes, those responsible for reporting this to Kim have strong incentives to downplay the extent of the damage." What's Next Ri Hyong Son, vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Munitions Industry Department, has been detained after being deemed "greatly responsible" for the incident, KCNA said on Monday. North Korean state media said previously that authorities were investigating to "expose the cause of the accident which should never occur and could not be tolerated and those responsible for it."
CNN
05-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
China is building a giant laser facility to master near-limitless clean energy, satellite images appear to show
Images from space reveal an enormous X-shaped building rising up from rocky terrain in southwestern China. This is a huge nuclear fusion research facility, analysts say, and it could be a sign China is leaping ahead in the quest to harness this futuristic energy source. It could also mean they are amping up nuclear weapons development. Decker Eveleth, an analyst at US-based research organization the CNA Corporation, has been among those watching this facility for years. In 2020, a US official released images purporting to show various potential Chinese nuclear locations, including the site near Mianyang in Sichuan province. At this point, it was basically 'a patch of dirt,' Eveleth told CNN. But after Covid shutdowns were lifted, construction accelerated. The project is described as a 'laser fusion' facility in contract documents obtained by Eveleth and seen by CNN. If the facility is indeed a laser facility, it will offer a unique way of studying materials in extreme conditions. It allows scientists to create 'pressures that are typically found in the center of stars or in nuclear weapons,' said Brian Appelbe, a research fellow from the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London. Eveleth says the four giant arms shown in the satellite image are 'bays' which will be able to shoot lasers at the tall, central tower, which houses a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes. The laser energy fuses the hydrogen together to create a burst of energy in a process called ignition. Nuclear fusion offers the tantalizing prospect of abundant, clean energy without the long-lived radioactive waste problem of nuclear fission, the world's current nuclear energy technology. Countries and companies across the world are in a race to master it. The US has long been a leader. The National Ignition Facility in California, which also uses laser-ignition technology, made a huge fusion energy breakthrough in 2022. In a world first, NIF scientists achieved a successful nuclear fusion reaction with a net energy gain (although they didn't count the energy needed to power the lasers). It was a big step forward in the decades-long quest to recreate on Earth the reaction which powers the sun and other stars. But this new facility in China could be a sign China is starting to to edge ahead. 'It signals that they are serious about fusion' said Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, an industry monitoring organization. 'They are being decisive, moving quickly and getting things done.' Eveleth estimates China's Mianyang research center will be around 50% bigger than the United States' NIF and, once completed, likely the biggest facility of its kind in the world. Its size could have advantages. A larger laser allows higher pressures and more material can be compressed, potentially increasing the energy achieved from nuclear fusion experiments, Appelbe told CNN. Although, he cautioned, achieving a successful fusion experiment is 'extremely challenging' even with a very large laser. CNN contacted China's Ministries of National Defense and of Science and Technology for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication. Experts say the facility also gives China the ability to research nuclear weapons. China and the US are both parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosions. The level of energy unleashed by nuclear weapons is very difficult to simulate with computers and other conventional methods. This is where laser-ignition fusion facilities can help, Eveleth said. They can shine high-powered lasers onto various materials to simulate the conditions in the first few microseconds after a nuclear explosion. 'Any country with an NIF-type facility can and probably will be increasing their confidence and improving existing weapons designs,' William Alberque, a nuclear policy analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Centre, told Reuters. A positive interpretation of the facility is that it provides reassurance China isn't planning any explosive nuclear testing, Eveleth said. But, he added, it could also allow them to develop more sophisticated designs, including smaller nuclear weapons. Some experts believe the Mianyang site may end being a different kind of fusion facility, a hybrid of fusion and fission. 'If this proves to be true, it is particularly alarming,' said Andrew Holland, chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association. This would be homegrown Chinese tech and 'likely more powerful than anything of that type in Western countries.' Regardless, the facility 'is clearly part of an ambitious program,' Holland told CNN. The US is still ahead in the fusion race for now, he added, but 'China is moving fast' and has shown it can move from concept to completion much faster than any government programs. 'It is time to build, it is time to invest,' Holland said. 'If the US and its allies do not, then China will win this race.'
CNN
05-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
China is building a giant laser to generate the energy of the stars, satellite images appear to show
Images from space reveal an enormous X-shaped building rising up from rocky terrain in southwestern China. This is a huge nuclear fusion research facility, analysts say, and it could be a sign China is leaping ahead in the quest to harness this futuristic energy source. It could also mean they are amping up nuclear weapons development. Decker Eveleth, an analyst at US-based research organization the CNA Corporation, has been among those watching this facility for years. In 2020, a US official released images purporting to show various potential Chinese nuclear locations, including the site near Mianyang in Sichuan province. At this point, it was basically 'a patch of dirt,' Eveleth told CNN. But after Covid shutdowns were lifted, construction accelerated. The project is described as a 'laser fusion' facility in contract documents obtained by Eveleth and seen by CNN. If the facility is indeed a laser facility, it will offer a unique way of studying materials in extreme conditions. It allows scientists to create 'pressures that are typically found in the center of stars or in nuclear weapons,' said Brian Appelbe, a research fellow from the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London. Eveleth says the four giant arms shown in the satellite image are 'bays' which will be able to shoot lasers at the tall, central tower, which houses a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes. The laser energy fuses the hydrogen together to create a burst of energy in a process called ignition. Nuclear fusion offers the tantalizing prospect of abundant, clean energy without the long-lived radioactive waste problem of nuclear fission, the world's current nuclear energy technology. Countries and companies across the world are in a race to master it. The US has long been a leader. The National Ignition Facility in California, which also uses laser-ignition technology, made a huge fusion energy breakthrough in 2022. In a world first, NIF scientists achieved a successful nuclear fusion reaction with a net energy gain (although they didn't count the energy needed to power the lasers). It was a big step forward in the decades-long quest to recreate on Earth the reaction which powers the sun and other stars. But this new facility in China could be a sign China is starting to to edge ahead. 'It signals that they are serious about fusion' said Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, an industry monitoring organization. 'They are being decisive, moving quickly and getting things done.' Eveleth estimates China's Mianyang research center will be around 50% bigger than the United States' NIF and, once completed, likely the biggest facility of its kind in the world. Its size could have advantages. A larger laser allows higher pressures and more material can be compressed, potentially increasing the energy achieved from nuclear fusion experiments, Appelbe told CNN. Although, he cautioned, achieving a successful fusion experiment is 'extremely challenging' even with a very large laser. CNN contacted China's Ministries of National Defense and of Science and Technology for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication. Experts say the facility also gives China the ability to research nuclear weapons. China and the US are both parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosions. The level of energy unleashed by nuclear weapons is very difficult to simulate with computers and other conventional methods. This is where laser-ignition fusion facilities can help, Eveleth said. They can shine high-powered lasers onto various materials to simulate the conditions in the first few microseconds after a nuclear explosion. 'Any country with an NIF-type facility can and probably will be increasing their confidence and improving existing weapons designs,' William Alberque, a nuclear policy analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Centre, told Reuters. A positive interpretation of the facility is that it provides reassurance China isn't planning any explosive nuclear testing, Eveleth said. But, he added, it could also allow them to develop more sophisticated designs, including smaller nuclear weapons. Some experts believe the Mianyang site may end being a different kind of fusion facility, a hybrid of fusion and fission. 'If this proves to be true, it is particularly alarming,' said Andrew Holland, chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association. This would be homegrown Chinese tech and 'likely more powerful than anything of that type in Western countries.' Regardless, the facility 'is clearly part of an ambitious program,' Holland told CNN. The US is still ahead in the fusion race for now, he added, but 'China is moving fast' and has shown it can move from concept to completion much faster than any government programs. 'It is time to build, it is time to invest,' Holland said. 'If the US and its allies do not, then China will win this race.'
CNN
05-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
China is building a giant laser to generate the energy of the stars, satellite images appear to show
CNN — Images from space reveal an enormous X-shaped building rising up from rocky terrain in southwestern China. This is a huge nuclear fusion research facility, analysts say, and it could be a sign China is leaping ahead in the quest to harness this futuristic energy source. It could also mean they are amping up nuclear weapons development. Decker Eveleth, an analyst at US-based research organization the CNA Corporation, has been among those watching this facility for years. In 2020, a US official released images purporting to show various potential Chinese nuclear locations, including the site near Mianyang in Sichuan province. At this point, it was basically 'a patch of dirt,' Eveleth told CNN. But after Covid shutdowns were lifted, construction accelerated. The project is described as a 'laser fusion' facility in contract documents obtained by Eveleth and seen by CNN. If the facility is indeed a laser facility, it will offer a unique way of studying materials in extreme conditions. It allows scientists to create 'pressures that are typically found in the center of stars or in nuclear weapons,' said Brian Appelbe, a research fellow from the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London. Eveleth says the four giant arms shown in the satellite image are 'bays' which will be able to shoot lasers at the tall, central tower, which houses a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes. The laser energy fuses the hydrogen together to create a burst of energy in a process called ignition. Nuclear fusion offers the tantalizing prospect of abundant, clean energy without the long-lived radioactive waste problem of nuclear fission, the world's current nuclear energy technology. Countries and companies across the world are in a race to master it. The US has long been a leader. The National Ignition Facility in California, which also uses laser-ignition technology, made a huge fusion energy breakthrough in 2022. In a world first, NIF scientists achieved a successful nuclear fusion reaction with a net energy gain (although they didn't count the energy needed to power the lasers). It was a big step forward in the decades-long quest to recreate on Earth the reaction which powers the sun and other stars. But this new facility in China could be a sign China is starting to to edge ahead. 'It signals that they are serious about fusion' said Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, an industry monitoring organization. 'They are being decisive, moving quickly and getting things done.' Eveleth estimates China's Mianyang research center will be around 50% bigger than the United States' NIF and, once completed, likely the biggest facility of its kind in the world. Its size could have advantages. A larger laser allows higher pressures and more material can be compressed, potentially increasing the energy achieved from nuclear fusion experiments, Appelbe told CNN. Although, he cautioned, achieving a successful fusion experiment is 'extremely challenging' even with a very large laser. CNN contacted China's Ministries of National Defense and of Science and Technology for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication. Experts say the facility also gives China the ability to research nuclear weapons. China and the US are both parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosions. The level of energy unleashed by nuclear weapons is very difficult to simulate with computers and other conventional methods. This is where laser-ignition fusion facilities can help, Eveleth said. They can shine high-powered lasers onto various materials to simulate the conditions in the first few microseconds after a nuclear explosion. 'Any country with an NIF-type facility can and probably will be increasing their confidence and improving existing weapons designs,' William Alberque, a nuclear policy analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Centre, told Reuters. A positive interpretation of the facility is that it provides reassurance China isn't planning any explosive nuclear testing, Eveleth said. But, he added, it could also allow them to develop more sophisticated designs, including smaller nuclear weapons. Some experts believe the Mianyang site may end being a different kind of fusion facility, a hybrid of fusion and fission. 'If this proves to be true, it is particularly alarming,' said Andrew Holland, chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association. This would be homegrown Chinese tech and 'likely more powerful than anything of that type in Western countries.' Regardless, the facility 'is clearly part of an ambitious program,' Holland told CNN. The US is still ahead in the fusion race for now, he added, but 'China is moving fast' and has shown it can move from concept to completion much faster than any government programs. 'It is time to build, it is time to invest,' Holland said. 'If the US and its allies do not, then China will win this race.'
CNN
05-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
China is building a giant laser to generate the energy of the stars, satellite images appear to show
Images from space reveal an enormous X-shaped building rising up from rocky terrain in southwestern China. This is a huge nuclear fusion research facility, analysts say, and it could be a sign China is leaping ahead in the quest to harness this futuristic energy source. It could also mean they are amping up nuclear weapons development. Decker Eveleth, an analyst at US-based research organization the CNA Corporation, has been among those watching this facility for years. In 2020, a US official released images purporting to show various potential Chinese nuclear locations, including the site near Mianyang in Sichuan province. At this point, it was basically 'a patch of dirt,' Eveleth told CNN. But after Covid shutdowns were lifted, construction accelerated. The project is described as a 'laser fusion' facility in contract documents obtained by Eveleth and seen by CNN. If the facility is indeed a laser facility, it will offer a unique way of studying materials in extreme conditions. It allows scientists to create 'pressures that are typically found in the center of stars or in nuclear weapons,' said Brian Appelbe, a research fellow from the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London. Eveleth says the four giant arms shown in the satellite image are 'bays' which will be able to shoot lasers at the tall, central tower, which houses a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes. The laser energy fuses the hydrogen together to create a burst of energy in a process called ignition. Nuclear fusion offers the tantalizing prospect of abundant, clean energy without the long-lived radioactive waste problem of nuclear fission, the world's current nuclear energy technology. Countries and companies across the world are in a race to master it. The US has long been a leader. The National Ignition Facility in California, which also uses laser-ignition technology, made a huge fusion energy breakthrough in 2022. In a world first, NIF scientists achieved a successful nuclear fusion reaction with a net energy gain (although they didn't count the energy needed to power the lasers). It was a big step forward in the decades-long quest to recreate on Earth the reaction which powers the sun and other stars. But this new facility in China could be a sign China is starting to to edge ahead. 'It signals that they are serious about fusion' said Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, an industry monitoring organization. 'They are being decisive, moving quickly and getting things done.' Eveleth estimates China's Mianyang research center will be around 50% bigger than the United States' NIF and, once completed, likely the biggest facility of its kind in the world. Its size could have advantages. A larger laser allows higher pressures and more material can be compressed, potentially increasing the energy achieved from nuclear fusion experiments, Appelbe told CNN. Although, he cautioned, achieving a successful fusion experiment is 'extremely challenging' even with a very large laser. CNN contacted China's Ministries of National Defense and of Science and Technology for comment but had not heard back at the time of publication. Experts say the facility also gives China the ability to research nuclear weapons. China and the US are both parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosions. The level of energy unleashed by nuclear weapons is very difficult to simulate with computers and other conventional methods. This is where laser-ignition fusion facilities can help, Eveleth said. They can shine high-powered lasers onto various materials to simulate the conditions in the first few microseconds after a nuclear explosion. 'Any country with an NIF-type facility can and probably will be increasing their confidence and improving existing weapons designs,' William Alberque, a nuclear policy analyst at the Henry L. Stimson Centre, told Reuters. A positive interpretation of the facility is that it provides reassurance China isn't planning any explosive nuclear testing, Eveleth said. But, he added, it could also allow them to develop more sophisticated designs, including smaller nuclear weapons. Some experts believe the Mianyang site may end being a different kind of fusion facility, a hybrid of fusion and fission. 'If this proves to be true, it is particularly alarming,' said Andrew Holland, chief executive of the Fusion Industry Association. This would be homegrown Chinese tech and 'likely more powerful than anything of that type in Western countries.' Regardless, the facility 'is clearly part of an ambitious program,' Holland told CNN. The US is still ahead in the fusion race for now, he added, but 'China is moving fast' and has shown it can move from concept to completion much faster than any government programs. 'It is time to build, it is time to invest,' Holland said. 'If the US and its allies do not, then China will win this race.'
