The Open Nuclear Network (ONN) – in collaboration with VERTIC – has produced a new Special Report that examines practical ways in which commercially available satellite imagery can be used for nuclear test ban monitoring and verification purposes. The report summarises findings of developments from July 2023 until March 2024 observed at the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) Punggye-ri test site, the United States’ Nevada National Security Sites, the Russian Federation’s Novaya Zemlya/Central Test Site, and the People’s Republic of China’s Lop Nur test site.
This report is an outcome of a two-part project titled “Strengthening nuclear test ban monitoring via nongovernmental satellite imagery analysis and mechanisms for resolving compliance concerns,” supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Counter Proliferation Programme. The outcome of both parts can be found here.
