Lots of satellites are nuclear powered, and there's a chance that when they come crashing down to Earth they could still be radioactive, causing even more harm to the planet after they hit it.
Officials in both countries also said the loss of the vessel presents no atomic threat despite the presence of both nuclear missiles and a nuclear power reactor on the submarine. NPR's David Malthus has a report
Last year, the U.S. announced a landmark submarine deal with Australia and the U.K. where nuclear-powered submarines will be sent to Western Australia.
The new nuclear-powered icebreakers get a blessing from an Orthodox priest and the first blow to its hull is not from the ice of the Arctic but from a bottle of champagne.
In a landmark agreement, Britain is to help design and build a new type of submarine for Australia, and America will sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia in the 2030s.
And experts are also concerned that in return, Russia could supply North Korea with technology that could be dangerous specifically technology that could advance North Korea's satellite and nuclear-powered submarine capabilities.
Russia began to invest in highly sophisticated nuclear-powered submarines with the intention of being able to disrupt the oceanic link between NATO nations in Europe and North America.
The ministerial statement also made an apparent reference to an American nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine that arrived in the South Korean port of Busan last month.
Obviously, the most efficient place to do it would be aboard a nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Willauer said these ships may someday manufacture their own jet fuel.