Dr. Michio Kaku, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the CUNY, was the featured speaker at a Cape Canaveral Air Force Station demonstration on Saturday, July 26 at 2pm.

Dr. Kaku, who has become one of the leading voices calling for a cancellation of the plutonium bearing space probe, has recently completed an analysis of NASA's accident probability figures for the Cassini mission.

Dr. Kaku has stated that NASA underestimates the number of deaths possible after a plutonium release by as much as 50-100 times. According to Dr. Kaku "over 200,000 people worldwide" could receive a deadly dose of the plutonium in an accident.

The Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice actually began its demonstration on July 20 with a week long Cancel Cassini Camp that included morning vigils at the gates of Cape Canaveral, Patrick AFB and the Kennedy Space Center. In the afternoon activists went door-to-door in the neighborhoods surrounding the space center with Cancel Cassini door hangers that told residents that in the event of a plutonium release, "homeowners insurance" will be of no value. In addition the door hanger reminded residents that NASA plans to launch nearly a dozen plutonium space missions between now and the year 2009, including two nuclear reactors for mining colonies on Mars in the year 2007.

The recent hoopla over the Mars Pathfinder, which has grams of plutonium on-board the rover, is evidence that NASA is now doing mineral research on Mars. The next Mars mission will map the surface of the planet, the Moon has already been mapped, and then nuclear powered mining colonies are planned by NASA. Following the successful start up of mining operations, NASA will then turn the work over the private corporate interests that will benefit without having had pay for the research and development phase. The U.S. taxpayers will have taken care of that.

As more and more nuclear launches are made from Cape Canaveral, the odds will dictate that eventually an accident will occur. At the University of Florida, in Gainesville, the nuclear professors are now working on nuclear powered rocket engines to lift Mars rockets from the Cape's launch pad.

Now is the time for international outrage and protest. President Clinton has final launch authority of Cassini. Congress must yet appropriate our tax dollars to pay for these future nuclear in space projects.

We are grateful for the good support we are now getting from all over the world on the Cancel Cassini Campaign. We hope as the October 6 launch date nears that more people worldwide will become engaged in this effort.

In peace, Bruce Gagnon State Coordinator FCPJ

Dr. Kaku at Cape Canaveral, July 26, 1997
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