U.S. to launch missile at broken satellite.

[2112]

MSNBC
updated 13 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - President Bush has ordered the Pentagon to use a Navy missile to attempt to destroy a broken U.S. spy satellite — and thereby minimize the risk to humans from its toxic fuel — by intercepting it just before it re-enters the atmosphere, officials said Thursday.

The effort — the first of its kind — will be undertaken because of the potential that people in the area where the satellite would otherwise crash could be harmed, the officials said.

Deputy National Security Adviser James Jeffrey, briefing reporters at the Pentagon, did not say when the attempted intercept would be conducted, but the satellite is expected to hit Earth during the first week of march

"This is all about trying to reduce the danger to human beings," Jeffrey said.

Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the same briefing that the "window of opportunity" for such a shootdown, presumably to be launched from a Navy ship, will open in the next three or four days and last for seven or eight days. He did not say whether the Pentagon has decided on an exact launch date.

Cartwright said this will be an unprecedented effort; he would not say exactly what are the odds of success.

"This is the first time we've used a tactical missile to engage a spacecraft," Cartwright said.

After extensive study and analysis, U.S. officials came to the conclusion that, "we're better off taking the attempt than not," Cartwright said.

He said a Navy missile known as Standard Missile 3 would be fired in an attempt to intercept the satellite just prior to it re-entering Earth's atmosphere. It would be "next to impossible" to hit the satellite after that because of atmospheric disturbances, Cartwright said.

A second goal, he said, is to directly hit the fuel tank in order to minimize the amount of fuel that returns to Earth.

Software associated with the Standard Missile 3 has been modified to enhance the chances of the missile's sensors recognizing that the satellite is its target; he noted that the missile's designed mission is to shoot down ballistic missiles, not satellites. Other officials said the missile's maximum range, while a classified figure, is not great enough to hit a satellite operating in normal orbits.

"It's a one-time deal," Cartwright said when asked whether the modified Standard Missile 3 should be considered a new U.S. anti-satellite weapon technology.

Cartwright also said that if an initial shootdown attempt fails, a decision will be made whether to take a second shot.

Jeffrey said members of Congress were briefed on the plan earlier Thursday and that diplomatic notifications to other countries would be made before the end of the day.

Shooting down a satellite is particularly sensitive because of the controversy surrounding China's anti-satellite test last year, when Beijing shot down one of its defunct weather satellites, drawing immediate criticism from the U.S. and other countries.

A key concern at that time was the debris created by Chinese satellite's destruction — and that will also be a focus now, as the U.S. determines exactly when and under what circumstances to shoot down its errant satellite.

The military will have to choose a time and a location that will avoid to the greatest degree any damage to other satellites in the sky. Also, there is the possibility that large pieces could remain, and either stay in orbit where they can collide with other satellites or possibly fall to Earth.

It is not known where the satellite will hit. But officials familiar with the situation say about half of the 5,000-pound spacecraft is expected to survive its blazing descent through the atmosphere and will scatter debris — some of it potentially hazardous — over several hundred miles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The satellite is outfitted with thrusters — small engines used to position it in space. They contain the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine, which can cause harm to anyone who contacts it. Officials have said there is about 1,000 pounds of propellent on the satellite.

Known by its military designation US 193, the satellite was launched in December 2006. It lost power and its central computer failed almost immediately afterward, leaving it uncontrollable. It carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor.






link (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23166344)

[2112]

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[StcChief]

That and the tech if it survived....could end up in wrong hands.

[seclark]

i wanna shoot at it too...
sec

[Eleazar]

"Those blackberry people have screwed me for the last time!", the President said.

[Iowanian]

i wanna shoot at it too...
sec

The spud gun might not be powerful enough. You start pumping the ether into the Pumkin Cannon and I'll freeze a watermellon.

[Bowser]

Let's hope Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones are on the job!

[seclark]

The spud gun might not be powerful enough. You start pumping the ether into the Pumkin Cannon and I'll freeze a watermellon.
the pumpkin cannon won't fit into the cab of the pickup...we're going to have to think about this.
sec

[Donger]

Interesting. I didn't realize that we had any surface naval missiles capable of going exoatmospheric.

[ottawa_chiefs_fan]

I can see it now - they will launch this thing and it will end up in a missile silo in Irkutsk....someone reloaded the backup config.

[Valiant]

Yeah because every country really believes we are being nice and taking out a falling satellite so it does not go toxic everywhere.. Most of those things burn up in the atmosphere.. There must be something really special about this one, like a missle system on board and it was built to withstand a atmospheric reentry..

[Bowser]

Interesting. I didn't realize that we had any surface naval missiles capable of going exoatmospheric.

Surely you're not suprised. The SR-71 Blackbird was operational and flying missions for 20 years before the public became aware of it. Skunk Works probably has all kinds of goodies under wraps today. Hell, we'll probably target the thing with a photon torpedo, or something.

[Donger]

Yeah because every country really believes we are being nice and taking out a falling satellite so it does not go toxic everywhere.. Most of those things burn up in the atmosphere.. There must be something really special about this one, like a missle system on board and it was built to withstand a atmospheric reentry..

Why would we build a missile-carrying satellite that was capable of safely re-entering the atmosphere?

[Adept Havelock]

Interesting. I didn't realize that we had any surface naval missiles capable of going exoatmospheric.

I vaguely recall reading something about a new version of AEGIS and the SM-3 having a limited ABM capability, but can't recall where. I'll see if I can dig it up.

Why would we build a missile-carrying satellite that was capable of safely re-entering the atmosphere?


And if we did, would it look as cool as the "Sixgun" from "Space Cowboys"?

[Donger]

Surely you're not suprised. The SR-71 Blackbird was operational and flying missions for 20 years before the public became aware of it. Skunk Works probably has all kinds of goodies under wraps today. Hell, we'll probably target the thing with a photon torpedo, or something.

No, I really am, surface ship-borne anyway. I wonder if they are going to target it when it starts re-entry and not go exoatmospheric.

[Donger]

I vaguely recall reading something about a new version of AEGIS and the SM-3 having a limited ABM capability, but can't recall where. I'll see if I can dig it up.




And if we did, would it look as cool as the "Sixgun" from "Space Cowboys"?

The SM-3 Kinetic Warhead (KW) is designed to intercept an incoming ballistic missile outside the earth’s atmosphere. SM-3 is under development by Raytheon at its Missile Systems business unit in Tucson, Arizona.

Cool.

I'll bet there are some software weenies at Raytheon right now saying, "Eeeeeekk! Is the f*cking software done or not?!"

[Bowser]

No, I really am, surface ship-borne anyway. I wonder if they are going to target it when it starts re-entry and not go exoatmospheric.

Maybe, but if they're so worried about the onboard tech, that seems a bit risky. Just hit it before it picks up speed, and potentially starts to splinter apart.

["Bob" Dobbs]

Why would we build a missile-carrying satellite that was capable of safely re-entering the atmosphere?Perhaps it's not the satellite so much that could safely reenter, as would be a MIRV (if there are weapons aboard the satellite, they'd pretty much HAVE to be protected against reentry).

[Donger]

Perhaps it's not the satellite so much that could safely reenter, as would be a MIRV (if there are weapons aboard the satellite, they'd pretty much HAVE to be protected against reentry).

We don't have nuclear weapons in orbit.

[Donger]

Ah, I just read that it's a SM-3 with a special software load.

["Bob" Dobbs]

We don't have nuclear weapons in orbit.Or so "they" say. ROTFL

[Spicy McHaggis]

They should raffle off who gets to punch the missile's "Launch" button.

[chasedude]

Can anyone else invision Slim Pickens riding this thing in? LMAO

[Valiant]

Why would we build a missile-carrying satellite that was capable of safely re-entering the atmosphere?


Because they lost control and cannot control where it lands??

Something is special that this satellite has to be blown up, Most satellites just break up in the atmosphere why are they so worried about this one??

Probably because it has something in it, it should not..

[Donger]

Because they lost control and cannot control where it lands??

Why would they design and build a missile-carrying satellite that was capable of safely re-entering the atmosphere in the first place?

[Valiant]

Why would they design and build a missile-carrying satellite that was capable of safely re-entering the atmosphere in the first place?


Well like always you only answer part of a question..

I said something like a missile system.. Why did we build a satellite that does not disintegrate in the atmosphere like the others upon reentry??

The satellite is probably fortified because it has some weapons system on it to protect the weapons.. This is why it can make it back into the atmosphere without disintegrating.. There is something on that badboy the government does not want to get out and it is not the toxic fuel..

[Donger]

Well like always you only answer part of a question..

I said something like a missile system.. Why did we build a satellite that does not disintegrate in the atmosphere like the others upon reentry??

The satellite is probably fortified because it has some weapons system on it to protect the weapons.. This is why it can make it back into the atmosphere without disintegrating.. There is something on that badboy the government does not want to get out and it is not the toxic fuel..

I didn't give you an answer at all. I asked you a question. And, you added to your post after I quoted you.

This satellite is apparently the size of a bus and weighs a considerable amount.

Also, since it is relatively new, it has a substantial amount of hydrazine aboard.

What evidence do you have that this is anything other than a spook bird?

[dtebbe]

There is something on that badboy the government does not want to get out and it is not the toxic fuel..

Either that or it's just an excuse to show off that we have the ability to shoot down a satellite. Not just with a missile that was not designed to, but on top of that from a ship at sea.

I agree that we are not getting the real story here...

DT

[Iowanian]

use the laaay zer.

Bust out the ray gun and shock the world.

[acesn8s]

Does that fuel not explode when heated to extreme temps?

[acesn8s]

use the laaay zer.

Bust out the ray gun and shock the world.The Chiefs will take care of it! That is Clayton's shocking news!

[Discuss Thrower]

Wait, America has had an anti-satellite missile for a while. I think they tested it from an F-104 back in the 70s...

[stonedstooge]

Damn. I was hoping it would hit the donkeys stadium.

[Rain Man]

I bet they ran the numbers and this thing is slated to take out Chicago or something.

[Donger]

Wait, America has had an anti-satellite missile for a while. I think they tested it from an F-104 back in the 70s...

The ASAT. F-15. 1980s.

[Moon§hiner]

They just need to rig these things so a few of the tiles fall off and re-entry isn't possible.

[KC Jones]

That and the tech if it survived....could end up in wrong hands.

I suspect that's the only reason. However if a cover story makes it more palatable then so be it.

[Frazod]

Well, I'm glad the Navy's doing it instead of NASA. At this point, I wouldn't trust to NASA to hit a target in Cape Canaveral.

[Rain Man]

Okay, I'm going to select a random set of global coordinates, totally random, and that's where this thing is going to hit. Ready?

[Rain Man]

I had to find a mapping site, and it takes lat and long in decimals.

Longitude: -89.36262113
Latitude: -29.26005148

[Rain Man]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the point of impact.

Eh. It'll kill a bunch of marine life, but I don't think it'll be a big enough splash to take out Santiago, much less anything important. It might be a spectacular show on Easter Island.

[Mr. Laz]

this sounds funky

*puts on tinfoil hat*


gotta be something else to this ... like the tech or missiles on there.


you would think "fuel" by it's very nature would explode and completely burn up coming down.

[2112]

this sounds funky

*puts on tinfoil hat*


gotta be something else to this ... like the tech or missiles on there.


you would think "fuel" by it's very nature would explode and completely burn up coming down.
I think they're more worried about any of the ''technology'' on board being recovered by non friendly's. and the fuel? I don't get that either.

[FAX]

It's probably already been discussed, but why can't the shuttle peeps just grab ahold of the thing and send it flying into deep space?

FAX

[Mr. Laz]

I think they're more worried about any of the ''technology'' on board being recovered by non friendly's. and the fuel? I don't get that either.
yep ... i bet they figure that it was coming down over someplace like China and were worry that some small bits might make it to earth.

didn't want them getting their grubby hands on a circuit board or something.

[alnorth]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the point of impact.

Eh. It'll kill a bunch of marine life, but I don't think it'll be a big enough splash to take out Santiago, much less anything important. It might be a spectacular show on Easter Island.

Eh, thats no fun. We wouldnt be shooting this thing down if it was going to splashdown.

I think you ought to re-roll till you hit land.

[Rain Man]

Okay, we'll re-roll until we hit land.

[Rain Man]

Shot #2: Another fishkill, and a bunch of giant tortoises head for high ground.

[Rain Man]

Shot #3: Run, Maori, run, but still no land hit.

[Rain Man]

Shot #4: Bammo! We have a Thai game!

[alnorth]

Shot #4: Bammo! We have a Thai game!

Thailand, eh.... hmmm...

Well.... yeah, ok I guess we shouldnt let horrible poison be spread across their lands. They havent done or said anything mean about us lately.

[Rain Man]

Let's zoom in on the damage. It's about halfway between Bangkok and Rangoon.

[Rain Man]

Let's hope that Highway 117 wasn't particularly crowded.

[PHOG]

We don't have nuclear weapons in orbit.


Neither do the Chinese after someone gave them the tech. :#

[alnorth]

Let's zoom in on the damage. It's about halfway between Bangkok and Rangoon.

So, just... well, umm... just how many Thai people are we talkin about anyway? How many will immediately die a horrible burning death, and how many will be damaged just enough to complain loudly?

And... how much money are these 1-2 shots going to cost us in materials, fuel, time, software programmers, etc. We gotta make a value judgement here.

[Rain Man]

Mayor Ramathandrachan Ramasamaworthan orders the evacuation of Ban Phang.

[Rain Man]

So, just... well, umm... just how many Thai people are we talkin about anyway? How many will immediately die a horrible burning death, and how many will be damaged just enough to complain loudly?

And... how much money are these 1-2 shots going to cost us in materials, fuel, time, software programmers, etc. We gotta make a value judgement here.


Ban Phang? Seems to me like we could just give them some cows and call it even. We're not exactly hitting downtown Bangkok here. It would probably take a couple of days to even find out what happened.

[alnorth]

Ban Phang? That sounds like a one stoplight village.

What I'm getting at here is if its gonna cost a spectacular amount of money for the sake of a few dozen people on a couple farms, maybe we could kinda... pretend we dont have any ability to shoot it down. Just say "oops, our bad" to Thailand, send a few government officials over for state visits, give a million in aid, and call it good.

[alnorth]

Ban Phang? Seems to me like we could just give them some cows and call it even. We're not exactly hitting downtown Bangkok here. It would probably take a couple of days to even find out what happened.

Gotcha, we are in agreement then. We'll just let nature take its course and apologize.

[PHOG]

Mayor Ramathandrachan Ramasamaworthan orders the evacuation of Ban Phang.

Ban Phang?? NNOOOOOOOOOOO,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Rain Man]

Google Earth shows that some farmer's going to be pretty ticked off. We might have to buy a new tractor or something.

I think that might be Ban Phang in the upper right. I think it's just a gas station on the side of the road.

[PHOG]

Google Earth shows that some farmer's going to be pretty ticked off. We might have to buy a new tractor or something.

I think that might be Ban Phang in the upper right. I think it's just a gas station on the side of the road.

OH I'm sorry, I've Ben doing BenHer.

My sincere apologies,,,,,

[Rain Man]

Let's see how many shots it takes before we hit something important - America.

Shot #5 - Turkmenistan, just missed Uzbekistan.

Off topic, but a town named Nukus is just asking for a big ballistic hit.

[FAX]

I have an idea. Let's program it to go to Mars. It will blow up on it's own!!

FAX

[Rain Man]

Shot #6: Near miss for the Seychelles. Or is that Mauritius?

[Rain Man]

Shot #7: Water ball.

[Rain Man]

Shot #8: Probably got a freighter or something.

[PHOG]

And you're trying to hit who? (DENVER?)

[Rain Man]

Shot #9: Geez, I don't think anybody would even notice this one.

By the way, I'm only counting latitudes between 60N and 60S since most satellites don't go further toward the poles than that.

[alnorth]

Just keep that crap away from Des Moines. And the states of Kansas, Missouri, and Alabama (family). Better avoid New York, California, and Florida too because those are always good for vacations. Probably should keep it away from DC, and the whole state of Maryland just to be safe, we wouldnt want us to think we were under attack by the United States, or we'd possibly declare war on those bastards.

Texas is cool too, so keep it away from there. I always wanted to see Hawaii also, and you cant hit anywhere near Tucson or Las Vegas or that would suck. I was also told that everyone should see Alaska sometime in their lives and I dont wanna worry about poison jet fuel in the snow when I'm looking at an Aurora Borealis.

Actually you know what, just try to steer it over to Montana, there aint crap there. Except dont get it too close to Idaho, because potatoes are yummy.

[Rain Man]

Shot #10: Nearly got a population center, albeit an armpit of one.

[Frazod]

It would be good if it hit Kansas.

That's the only way we could be sure that it wouldn't destroy anything important.

:)

[stumppy]

Shot #9: Geez, I don't think anybody would even notice this one.

By the way, I'm only counting latitudes between 60N and 60S since most satellites don't go further toward the poles than that.


I think you should at least go to 75 N and S. 60N only covers the bottom half of Russia.

[PHOG]

It would be good if it hit Kansas.

That's the only way we could be sure that it wouldn't destroy anything important.

:)

Except my folks. :cuss:

[Rain Man]

I can't control where the hammer falls. Because if I could, it wouldn't be in the freaking Antarctic any more.

Shot #11:

[Frazod]

Except my folks. :cuss:

They have time to move. :D

[PHOG]

They have time to move. :D

Believe me, I've been trying, but they like it there.

[alnorth]

Well dang, I was going to go to bed right about now, but I have to stay up and see which town rain man is going to obliterate. Better get a soda, this could be a while. Theres an awful damn lot of water out there in the playing field.

[Rain Man]

Shot #12: Geez, it's like 70 percent of the earth is water or something.

[Iowanian]

Shot #9: Geez, I don't think anybody would even notice this one.

By the way, I'm only counting latitudes between 60N and 60S since most satellites don't go further toward the poles than that.

Tom Hanks will be really pissed when all of those metalic cutting surfaces fall onto his castaway island.

[Rain Man]

Shot #13: Unlucky for some sea bass.

[Rain Man]

Okay, time savings adjustment here: We're going only northern hemisphere from 0 to 75N.

[Rain Man]

Shot #14North: Almost got the Azores.

[Rain Man]

Shot #15North: I think this is where that 1908 meteor hit.

[Rain Man]

Okay, time-saving measure #2: only the northwest hemisphere from now on.

[Rain Man]

Shot #16: What the - water again?

[PHOG]

Shot #15North: I think this is where that 1908 meteor hit.


Nah, that was TugaDenver, or something like that.

[Rain Man]

I regret to announce that Shot #17 struck American soil. Stay tuned for the news.

[alnorth]

Oh God, no. Not America... WHYYYYYYY!!!!

[Rain Man]

Shot #17: Looooooook outttttttttt, Nommmmmmmmmme!

[PHOG]

Shot #17: Looooooook outttttttttt, Nommmmmmmmmme!

Suurre, set off a major :Ring of Fire: episode.

[Rain Man]

Fortunately, it missed the big city. We'll dispatch a reporter to check things out on the ground.

[PHOG]

Holy Satellite, if all our "Spies in the Skies" keep dropping, how will we evah keep up?

[Rain Man]

It appears to have struck an uninhabited area about five miles from the towns of Council and White Mountain.

[Iowanian]

Dad Nabbit bRainman!

http://www.geocities.com/usnavyindanger/img007.gif

http://www.threadless.com/productbanner/212/banner2.png

[Rain Man]

Live from the scene, it would appear that the satellite hit the side of a large ridge that is completely in the middle of nowhere. So much for drama.

[Rain Man]

For those of you following this breaking story, Council appears to be uninhabited, but we have some statistics on White Mountain.

Population: 210

187 Alaska Native
26 White Non-Hispanic
3 Mixed Race

Median Household Income: $25,833

66 housholds: 18 with 1 person, 14 with 2 people, 2 with 3, 8 with 4, 9 with 5, 12 with 6, and 3 with 7 or more people

107 males, 103 females



Male age 15 or older: 74
Never married 33
Married, spouse present 16
Married, spouse absent: 5
Separated 5
Other 0
Widowed 6
Divorced 14

Female age 15 or older: 62
Never married 30
Married, spouse present 13
Married, spouse absent: 2
Separated 2
Other 0
Widowed 11
Divorced 6

13 males are employed:

3 in transportation
5 in education
2 in health care/social services
3 in public administration

26 females are employed:

2 in retail
14 in education
8 in health care/social services
2 in public administration


Of 78 housing units in the area, 52 have complete plumbing facilities and 56 have complete kitchen facilities.


The 5 white households and 2 mixed race households have telephones in their house, compared with 41 out of the 59 Alaska Native households.

There are zero vehicles in town that are owned by private households.

[Iowanian]

Drop your Beryllium Bomb on these coordinates and see what happens.

N37°44.8152, W122°12.05562

[2112]

Maybe we should have booby trapped it.

http://www.freemyspacegraphics.com/Graphics/Funny_Animations/images/1.gif

[Bwana]

We're doomed!!

[Donger]

this sounds funky

*puts on tinfoil hat*


gotta be something else to this ... like the tech or missiles on there.


you would think "fuel" by it's very nature would explode and completely burn up coming down.

It very well could, but the issue seems to be "what happens if it doesn't." It's a new bird full of hydrazine. That's pretty nasty stuff. When we've let other satellites de-orbit and re-enter, they were empty of fuel. Remember Skylab?