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Grex > Science > #109: U.S. fires missile against derelict spy satellite | |
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gull
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U.S. fires missile against derelict spy satellite
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Feb 21 18:19 UTC 2008 |
Most of you are probably familiar with this story by now. The U.S.
launched a missile to destroy a derelict spy satellite. The claimed
purpose was to destroy a tank of toxic hydrazine that might have
survived re-entry:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7256741.stm
In spite of the denials in the story, I kind of suspect this was
intended to show the Chinese that they aren't the only ones with an
anti-satellite capability. That's my pet theory, anyway.
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| 5 responses total. |
rcurl
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response 1 of 5:
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Feb 21 20:45 UTC 2008 |
They also didn't wany any major pieces surviving to fall into the "wrong
hands". Some big pieces from the Columbia disaster did survive reentry.
Perhaps the shoot-down was to make the pieces smaller and more widely
dispersed, and hence harder to reverse-engineer.
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gull
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response 2 of 5:
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Feb 22 06:29 UTC 2008 |
That crossed my mind as well.
It also occurred to me that it might be a PR move to convince people
the national missile defense system will work.
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rcurl
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response 3 of 5:
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Feb 22 17:54 UTC 2008 |
Of coursee, they had months to track the satellite and determine its
orbital perameters to high precision. They would not have that time if it
were an incoming missile.
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gull
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response 4 of 5:
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Feb 22 19:32 UTC 2008 |
Yes, but that's an easy point to gloss over when talking to the
uninformed public.
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tod
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response 5 of 5:
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Feb 28 14:24 UTC 2008 |
re #3
I don't think this is about Reagan's SDI as much as it is about countering
China's ability to trash spy and GPS satellites with debris.
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