Muon flux technology reveals secrets of Soviet submarine

Achieving accuracies thirty times greater than current industry standards, Estonian company GScan said it has set a new benchmark for non-invasive imaging of complex legacy structures.

Established in the 1960s, Paldiski was once home to the largest Soviet Union nuclear training centre, with two operational nuclear reactors installed in training submarines.

Before the Russian withdrawal in 1995, nuclear waste material was disposed of inside the submarine. As a containment measure, this waste and the reactors were encased in concrete as deep as 5m.

Control of the site was given back to Estonia, but the internal designs were classified as ‘State Secrets’. The situation is the same across Europe where multiple reactors, nuclear facilities, and nuclear waste deposits lack full documentation.

In a statement, Andi Hektor, GScan’s co-founder and chief strategy officer, said: “Muon flux scanning is now proven to offer a solution for mapping undocumented nuclear sites safely and accurately.

“The technology offers unparalleled accuracy, doesn’t require operators to spend long periods on site exposed to radiation, and can provide detailed information on both the structure and materials it contains.”