Rogue Satellite Struck, but Destruction Uncertain
By D.J. Siegel/Washington D.C.
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The U.S. military cheered Wednesday night as a fireball erupted over the Pacific Ocean, signifying a direct hit against a rogue American spy satellite hurtling at 17,000 mph towards Earth. The Pentagon confirmed early Thursday that a U.S. Navy missile successfully intercepted the falling satellite containing a fuel tank full of hazardous chemicals. “Our objective was to intercept the satellite, reduce the mass that might survive re-entry, and vector that mass as best we could into unpopulated areas, ideally the ocean,” said U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a press briefing Thursday. “The intent here was to preserve human life. In a Pentagon briefing Thursday morning, Cartwright reported that the Navy warship, the USS Lake Erie, fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile 3 at the satellite at 10:26 pm EST Wednesday. The missile intercepted its target 133 miles over the Pacific Ocean, and at 10:50 pm EST the Joint Space Operation Center confirmed the break-up of the satellite. |
While the missile successfully struck the satellite, it will take the government 24 to 48 hours to determine if the fuel tank was destroyed, and if pieces of resulting debris pose a continued threat. “The intercept occurred, we’re very confident that we hit the satellite,” said Cartwright. “I’m not at the point yet where we’re ready to say we got that tank.” The missile launch is the culmination of a month of planning by the military on how to best address the dangers of the falling satellite, Cartwright said. The National Reconnaissance Office reportedly launched the satellite two years ago, and lost communication and control over it almost immediately. The 2,800 pound machine contained a 1,000 pound fuel load of hazardous hydrazine. On impact with Earth, it was estimated the hydrazine could spread over the distance of two football fields. “There was a reasonable chance that this hydrazine, if it fell in a populated area, would affect people,” said Cartwright. “You have to treat this as if it’s going to hurt someone. If you can mitigate the threat, reduce that opportunity, then you should take action.” The Pentagon reported that they have seen no resulting pieces of debris larger than a football following the missile strike, and have received no reports of any pieces reaching the ground. Nearly all debris is expected to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere within 24 to 48 hours. The military is also reportedly prepped should any large undetected pieces of debris make it through the atmosphere. “We’re prepared to assist with specially trained teams that are on alert at various places throughout our area of responsibility,” said Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating following the missile launch. The government will review images of the strike taken by the missile over the next several days to determine if the fuel tank was hit, but officials are optimistic that the mission was successful. “We’re 80 to 90 percent sure the tank was breached,” said Cartwright. “We’re not proceeding as if we’re going to take another shot.” Quick Space Facts• This isn’t the first time a country has fired a missile against a satellite. China launched a missile against its own defunct weather satellite in January, 2007. At the time, the U.S. registered protest; “We are aware of it and we are concerned,” said White House Spokesman Tony Snow.
• Today 850 active satellites orbit Earth, and 4,500 have been launched in the last 50 years. • Since the 1960’s, an average of one piece of space debris (man-made material) has fallen back to Earth each day, according to the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office. • There are currently 150 million pieces of orbital debris in space, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists - As originally reported on Medill News Service, February 21, 2008 |