U.S. to attempt shoot-down of Spy Satellite

[MikeTheC]

On Friday, February 15, CNN.com posted an article on the story of how the U.S. Government intends to shoot up to three modified anti-missile missiles at US 193, the spy satellite previously announced through major news media outlets as having failed shortly after launch and now on a decaying orbit expected to end in an uncontrolled re-entry in early March, 2008.

Because the super-secret spy satellite malfunctioned immediately after launch in December 2006, its fuel tank is full, and it would probably survive re-entry and disperse harmful, even potentially deadly fumes over an area the size of two football fields.

The missile will carry no warhead; the objective is to break the satellite apart through the force of impact alone, defense officials said.

One Pentagon official -- who spoke on condition of anonymity because the planning for the operation remains classified -- told CNN that since early January, a Navy team, including 200 industry experts and scientists, has been working furiously to modify its sea-based Aegis missile defense system so it can shoot down a satellite in low orbit.

Also, on February 16, BreitBart.com posted an AP article which discusses Russia's reaction to the missile shot attempt, which decries the attempt as a way to threaten the world with the capability to shoot down satellites of other nations.

Russia said Saturday that U.S. military plans to shoot down a damaged spy satellite may be a veiled test of America's missile defense system.

The Pentagon failed to provide "enough arguments" to back its plan to smash the satellite next week with a missile, Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"There is an impression that the United States is trying to use the accident with its satellite to test its national anti-missile defense system's capability to destroy other countries' satellites," the ministry said.

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

Considering the payload size, and the fact these satellites are DESIGNED from day one, to be useless to enemy eyes should exactly this, happen.

I see it as a way for the US to measure (#*$s with China.

Just my opinion, though.

 

[3nm]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/422274/

 

[Rodimus Prime]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/422274/

read it again. It is not a repost.

 

[zioxide]

read it again. It is not a repost.

read it again. The article the OP posted is discussed on the second page of that linked topic

 

[Chromako]

Wasn't it already knowledge that the US had the power to shoot down satellites? Besides, this doesn't prove much because the satellite is in a decaying orbit, that is, very low orbit. It's much harder to shoot something down that is in, say, geosynchronous orbit. That it is so hard for them to shoot this one down actually discredits some of the ideas that it would be easy for the US to down other units. And if anyone knows anything about hydrazine, it's really, really dangerous stuff. you do not want thousands of pounds landing on civilisation, or anywhere, really. If the fuel was spent, I'd be more sceptical, but this seems to be actually half legitimate.