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Ready, Aim, Fire!
By Linda | February 17, 2008
The U.S. Military is making plans to shoot down one of its own satellites. The high tech spy satellite malfunctioned immediately after it was launched in December of 2006 and now poses a remote but real threat as it begins its plunge back to Earth.
The primary concern is not necessarily the satellite itself but the 1000 pounds of toxic hydrazine it carries in its fuel tanks. The fuel tanks are likely to survive re-entry and could potentially disperse harmful, even deadly fumes over an area the size of two football fields.
Since early January, a Navy team comprised of 200 industry experts and scientists has been working feverishly to modify three SM-3 missiles aboard Aegis ships to strike the satellite. The Navy wants to intercept the satellite in low orbit at a point just above the atmosphere so there would be a high likelihood of bringing it down in an unpopulated area. An intercept also would rupture the hydrazine tanks. The Navy is not disclosing exactly where the ships would fire from, only saying it will be from the northern hemisphere and the Pacific Ocean.
The mission will take place sometime after February 2oth, when the shuttle Atlantis has safely returned from its rendevous with the International Space Station.
Topics: In the News, Technology, The Cosmos |
February 17th, 2008 at 2:57 am
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