Officials: U.S. to try to shoot down errant satellite

[Prrkitty]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/02/14/spy.satellite/index.html

Quote: The U.S. military may try within days to shoot down a failed satellite using a missile launched from a Navy ship, officials announced Thursday.

Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon that the window to accomplish the mission could begin in three to four days, and remain open for seven to eight.

While much space trash and debris have safely crashed to Earth after burning up in the atmosphere on re-entry, authorities said what makes this 5,000-pound satellite different is the approximately 1,000 pounds of frozen toxic hydrazine propellant it carries.

Without any intervention, officials believe the satellite would come down on its own in early March.

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Hmmm... is it just me or does anyone else see this going terribly horribly wrong?

As it stands, China is guilty of adding the most debris to the crap that's orbiting our Earth (from the same article). Could we be aiming to take 2nd place? Or even setting the earth up as a debris catcher?

AHHHH!!! Could this really possibly work?

[Pineconn]

AHHHH!!! Could this really possibly work?

The government says so, so it must be true.

[Aegix Drakan]

...why am I not surprised...

...well, at least they're blowing it up OUTSIDE the atmosphere. so Hopefully, minimal traces of that crap get through. At first, I though that blowing it up would cause the dangerous stuff to fall directly onto the planet, but if it's outside the atmoshpere, It should'nt really happen.

...but If a large piece of metal hits my house or I suddenly develop asthma, I know who to sue.

[The Desperado]

I know we have high tech missiles and stuff, and I don't know much about military crap. But a precision shot into outer space seems a little out of our league still. But I guess we did put a man on the moon so maybe I'm just naive.

[Lilith]

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