Debris from Chinese ASAT test will orbit orbit for another 80 or 90 years
Debris from a Chinese anti-satellite test will remain in orbit for another 80 or 90 years, Gen. Kevin Chilton, head of U.S. Strategic Command said. By contrast, debris from the disabled US 193 spy satellite shoot down by a U.S. SM3 missile last year had cleared.
"Every bit of debris created by that (U.S.) intercept has de-orbited," Chilton told a symposium on air warfare hosted by the U.S. Air Force Association in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday.
Satellite Shootdown Suprised Planners
The U.S. missile defense community learned a lot from the recent shot down of a disabled spy satellite. "We didn’t predict an explosion," says Rear Adm. Brad Hicks, U.S. Navy manager of the Aegis air and space defense program. "But the hydrazine tank did burn for tens of seconds. [The impact] also created smaller pieces than we had predicted. What’s still up there [is so small that] it is not showing up in the debris field."
AEDC-tested Navy Standard Missile destroys errant satellite
Staff from the USAF's Arnold Engineering Development Center were happy that a Navy Standard Missile-3 had successfully intercepted a disabled satellite. The missile has been extensively tested at the wind tunnels of AEDC.
Pentagon: Satellite Debris Not a Danger
A Pentagon spokesman said Friday that their analysis of the missile strike on US 193 has revealed no sign of danger from debris. Bryan Whitman said initial indications reported on Thursday that the SM-3 missile hit the fuel tank as planned have been reinforced by further analysis. But he said officials are still not 100 percent certain.
Satellite strike shows US missile defense works: Gates
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that the successful shoot-down of US 193 spy satellite shows that the missile defense system works. "I think the operation speaks for itself in that respect," Gates told reporters here after touring one of the warships that supported the operation in the Pacific ocean.
Navy Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite
At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST, Feb. 20, a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite approximately 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force.
US May Attempt to Down Spy Satellite
Looks like I made a mistake, the first attempt to shot down US 193 is Feb. 21 at 0330UTC. 02/062 (A0038/08) - AIRSPACE CARF NR. 90 ON EVELYN STATIONARY RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 3145N 17012W 2824N 16642W 2352N 16317W 1909N 16129W 1241N 16129W 1239N 16532W 1842N 17057W 2031N 17230W 2703N 17206W SFC-UNL. 21 FEB 02:30 2008 UNTIL 21 FEB 05:00 2008. CREATED: 18 FEB 12:51 2008
U.S. Navy interception of L21 on 22 Feb 0330 UTC
Word on the street is that the U.S. Navy will attempt to shoot down the US 193 spy satellite on Feb. 22 at 0330 UTC. The source is from a NOTAMS created for a region near Hawaii. Here's the NOTAM :
02/068 (A0039/08) - AIRSPACE STATIONARY RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 3145N/17012W 2824N/16642W 2352N/16317W 1909N/16129W 1241N/16129W 1239N/16532W 1842N/17057W 2031N/17230W 2703N/17206W SFC-UNL. 22 FEB 02:30 2008 UNTIL 22 FEB 05:00 2008. CREATED: 19 FEB 12:31 2008
Sources: Navy to shoot down failed satellite Thursday
The U.S. Navy will likely attempt to shoot down a faulty spy satellite Thursday, the day after the space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to land, two officials told CNN Monday.
Missile-ready China warns U.S. against plan to destroy spy satellite
China has joined Russia to voice concern over a U.S. plan to shoot down the US 193 spy satellite. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said the Chinese government was highly concerned about the U.S. plan.
U.S. Plans Test of Anti-Satellite Interceptor Against Failed Intelligence Satellite
The Federation of American Scientists say the Bush administration should not waste money trying to shot down the US 193 spy satellite to prevent its 1,000lb from harming civilians when 130 million pounds of hydrazine is being transported around the world each year using trucks and trains.
Satellite Shootdown Plan Began in Jan.
A high-security team of about 200 people from the U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, as well as scientists from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory were assembled on Jan. 4 to assess the option of shotting down the disable L21 reconnaissance satellite.
Attempt to shoot down spy satellite to cost up to $60 million
American taxpayers will have to cough out $60 million to shoot down one of its billon dollar spy satellite. CNN reports that each SM-3 missile costs nearly $10 million and the total cost of modifying and preparing for the intercept will cost between $40 to $60 million.
Meanwhile Russia said Saturday that the intercept may be a veiled test of America's missile defense system.
"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," Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.
How U.S. plans to destroy out-of-control spy satellite
NASA administrator Michael Griffin insisted the interception of the L21 spy satellite was not a ruse to try the missile defense system on a satellite or to one-up other countries that have made similar attempts. China last year launched an anti-satellite missile which destroyed a satellite at a much higher altitude.
Deputy National Security Adviser James Jeffrey said two additional U.S. Navy cruisers, with backup missiles, have been configured for a second and third chance, if necessary.
Broken Satellite Will Be Shot Down
U.S. President George W. Bush has ordered his officials to try and shoot down the disable spy satellite using a Navy missile. 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.
Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the SM-3 will intercept the satellite before it re-enters the atmosphere. The "window of opportunity" will open in the next three or four days and last for seven or eight days.
U.S. Considering Shooting Down Satellite
According to Aviation Week, U.S. officials are studying the possibility of shooting down the L-21 reconnaissance satellite to prevent secret technologies from falling into wrong hands. Another reason is that the on board hydrazine propellant could be harmful to humans if its tank reenters the atmosphere without breaking up.
AF General: Spy Satellite Could Hit US
A U.S. General has confirmed that the L-21 a.k.a US 193 spy satellite has a remote chance of landing in the United States. Well, half of Alert 5's readers wished that it will land on Osama's head though. Head of of U.S. Northern Command, Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, told The Associated Press that his people along with the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA will deal with the possibility and offer assistance to Canada and Mexico if needed.
U.S. Spy Satellite, Power Gone, May Hit Earth
This story reminds me of the Chicken Little movie, the sky is falling! It seems that an experimental U.S. spy satellite launched in 2006 has lost power and could reenter orbit in late February or early March. U.S. officials say they has lost communications with the satellite and could not tell where it might land.
"Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, when asked about the situation after it was disclosed by other officials. "Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause."
NRO spy satellite may be total loss: sources
Reuters is reporting that the experimental L-21 classified spy satellite is likely to be reported as a total loss. Efforts to restore its ability to communicate failed repeatedly over the past three month.
The National Reconnaissance Office was launched successfully on Dec. 14 but has been out of touch since reaching its low-earth orbit.
The satellite carried sophisticated cameras to take high-resolution pictures and test equipment intended for use on the broader Future Imagery Architecture (FIA) program.
Expensive new U.S. spy satellite not working: sources
Reuters on Thursday found out from a U.S. defense official and another source familiar with the matter that an expensive experimental U.S. spy satellite launched last year has lost contact. The official said the satellite has not been declared as a total lost yet and noted that some satellites had been recovered in similar situations in the past.
The other source said the satellite has been described as "a comprehensive failure."
U.S. officials are trying to reestablished contacts as the satellite carries new technologies that were to be tested.
The satellite appears to be launched on Dec. 14 on a Delta II rocket and Space.com has a count down page of that launch together with videos.
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