Posted on 02/21/2008 9:30:23 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
China irate as US shoots down satellite
By Demetri Sevastopulo in Honolulu
Published: February 21 2008 18:28 | Last updated: February 22 2008 00:21
The US navy destroyed a decaying spy satellite that was falling to earth with potentially hazardous fuel on Thursday, prompting accusations of double standards from China.
On Wednesday afternoon in the northwest Pacific, an Aegis warship fired a missile that intercepted the satellite 247km up in space. The USS Lake Erie launched the missile shortly after Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, arrived in Hawaii en route to Australia.
Mr Gates said the operation appeared to be “very successful”. The navy was attempting both to hit the satellite before it entered the atmosphere and to destroy the fuel tank, which the Pentagon said posed a hazard to humans.
General James Cartwright, vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the military had “a high degree of confidence that we got the tank” but cautioned that it would take another two days to make a final confirmation.
Earlier, a Chinese Communist party newspaper had accused the US of double standards. Washington criticised other nations for their space ambitions, while itself trying to win a military advantage in space, the overseas edition of the People’s Daily newspaper said.
Mr Gates stressed that there had been “complete transparency” surrounding the US operation. China has asked the US to proviide data about the operation. Mr Gates said the US was prepared to share where “appropriate”.
The national reconnaissance agency launched the spy satellite in December 2006. But the military lost control of it shortly after it reached orbit, when the onboard communications systems went dead. Last month the US informed other countries that the decaying satellite was falling to earth. President George W. Bush ordered the destruction of the satellite, which was carrying a toxic fuel called hydrazine.
The Pentagon has rejected suggestions it was using the failed satellite as a pretext to conduct an anti-satellite weapons test. Last year the US criticised China for conducting an anti-satellite test, destroying an ageing weather satellite in space without providing advance notice. Both tests created debris in space, which experts warned could pose a threat to other satellites.
On Wednesday night in Hawaii, Admiral Timothy Keating, the head of US Pacific command, said the US had acted responsibly by informing other countries in advance. Speaking shortly before the navy took the shot, he added that “no one has expressed concern”.
Gen Cartwright said debris from the destroyed satellite had started falling into the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Pentagon on Wednesday said all the debris would re-enter the atmosphere within the next 40 days. Gen Cartwright played down suggestions the US had destroyed the satellite partly to stop other countries obtaining sensitive information about its spy satellites.
Ike Skelton, the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives armed services committee, welcomed the successful strike but stressed that it was an “exceptional case”.
“We abandoned the pursuit of anti-satellite technology two decades ago due to concerns about the consequences of its use, and our country has no plans to renew those efforts,” he said.
“monkey slap”
Wouldn’t that make the US the monkey?
China did this first, just as a show.
We did it to ostensibly keep a hazard from hurting others, while protecting our technology.
Screw China.
How do you say “Bite Me” in Chinese?
The debris from the Chinese satellite was in a much higher altitude. Every space faring nation will have to deal with it for many more years to come. The debris field from our satellite test was in a much lower orbit, and it should all be gone (reentered the atmosphere) in a few days.
In contrast, the debris from the Sino satellite shootdown will remain in orbit for a century or more.
Hey Chicoms: Better put some ice on that.
Alright, just to be fair, we can shoot down one of their satellites.
If I heard the General correctly this morning, he said that they were showing the “low quality feed” of the missile impact...and they they were reviewing the “high quality feed” to identify if the fuel tank was indeed destroyed.
I was pretty impressed with the low quality feed footage
OK, China. How about if next time, we just drop 1000 pounds of hydrazine on Beijing?
LOL.
China is upset because we didn’t have to brag about it, we just had a job to do and we did it.
No doubt Nancy Pelosi is greatly upset.
why on earth are we holding an olympics in a communist country which murdered many peaceful democracy protesters in tinnamen square?
That’s what I figured, and I wondered if it might invalidate the idea that this was a anti-satellite test because it wasn’t in a realistic enough orbit to be considered a valid target.
Grow the frack up and stop whining when you get beaten at a dirty game you started.
Our enemies had better take notice of this little exercise. If they try to attack the U.S. they may end up having it backfire, thus causing harm to themselves instead of to us.
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