Pentagon to shoot down failing satellite

[unhappycamper]

This uncaptioned pic was in the article.


Pentagon to shoot down failing satellite
By Gayle S. Putrich - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 14, 2008 20:12:17 EST

The Pentagon will attempt to shoot down an unresponsive spy satellite before it enters the Earth’s atmosphere due to concerns that the rocket fuel on board could harm people when it crashes, U.S. officials said Feb. 14.

The Navy has been working on software modifications for three weeks and will deploy three Aegis-equipped ships to intercept the 5,000-pound National Reconissance Office (NRO) imagery satellite somewhere in the northern hemisphere of the Pacific Ocean in the coming weeks, said Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Cartwright refused say which ships will be deployed or where they will go to fire.

Cartwright said a “window of opportunity” for an attempt to shoot down the satellite with a ballistic missile will open in two to three days and is expected to last as long as seven to eight days.

If the first shot misses, the Navy will have two backup missiles and as long as two days to make a decision on a second attempt. The goals are to destroy the hydrazine rocket fuel and to push the satellite on a trajectory to land in the ocean, Cartwright said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_satellite_shootdown_080214w/



uhc comment: I'll bet these boys all have woodies just thinking about shooting down a satellite.