U.S. Satellites Dodge Chinese Missile Debris

The Washington Times ^ | January 11, 2008 | Bill Gertz

[Fennie]

Two orbiting U.S. spacecraft were forced to change course to avoid being damaged by the thousands of pieces of space debris produced after China carried out an anti-satellite weapon test one year ago today. The maneuvering, ordered by ground controllers and conducted several months ater the test, is an example of lingering problems caused by China's Jan. 11, 2007, missile firing in a bold demonstration of space weaponry against a weather satellite, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Ted Kresge, director of air, space and information operations at the Air Force Space Command in Colorado. Gen. Kresge, a F-15 figher pilot, said the Chinese ASAT weapon test changed the equation for the military, which is working to better understand strategic threats posed by China's satellite-killing missiles, ground-based lasers, cyberwarfare and other ground station attack capabilities...

[mkjessup]

Wonder how the ChiComs will feel if at some point, their own satellites are unable to evade their self-generated space debris?

[SatinDoll]

If the Chinese went crazy and started shooting down as many satellites as they could, what impact would all that falling debris have on us folks down here on the surface?

(I’m betting it will be neither pretty nor good.)

[marvlus]

The Chinese not only do not care about the pollution mess they’re making in their country. They also do not care about the pollution mess they’re making in space. While they claim sovereignty over their space, that space becomes some else’s space every 24 hours.

[knarf]

"While they claim sovereignty over their space, that space becomes some (one) else’s space every 24 hours."

and for the next thousand years.

My first thought after reading this was, "Hold m'beer ... watch this ... "

[alexander_busek]

>>If the Chinese went crazy and started shooting down as many satellites as they could, what impact would all that falling debris have on us folks down here on the surface?

(I’m betting it will be neither pretty nor good.)<<

Let’s begin by remembering that satellites struck by such projectiles would suffer damage, but would not necessarily de-orbit.

With regards to any debris heading Earthward: My guess is that most (approx. 90%) of the debris would burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere. Of the surviving debris, three-quarters would land in the ocean, and one-fifth would impact in uninhabited areas (Antarctica, etc.). All in all, a few charred fragments the size of peach pits might be recoverable near populated areas.

The total loss of property or human life would be negligible.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

And we still want to do Free Trade w Communist China?

Tired of subsidizing the enemy. Tired of the treason

[Telepathic Intruder]

There is already about 9,000 things they have to track in low orbit, 6,000 of them space junk. This will be an ever-growing problem because they rarely come back down on their own. I heard once that this Chinese weapons test almost doubled the number of trackable junk. Debris smaller than about six inches across is the real danger, however, since we can't even detect them. space.com

[Thermalseeker]

The total loss of property or human life would be negligible.

Yeah, but that won't stop the laimstream media from getting themselves into a tizzy over it......and trying to scare the population....

[upchuck]

In answer to your tag line, yes and it’s invariably not pretty.

[PeteB570]

Remember when , I think it was, the old Soviet space station came down?

The “we’re all doomed” crowd was in full swing then. IIRC it came down somewhere on vacant Canadian land.

[Wiz]

This sure was Pearl Harbor of the space. We better get rid of Chicoms before our nation is under a tragic attack!

[Wiz]

ping

[Thermalseeker]

In answer to your tag line, yes and it’s invariably not pretty.

Do you point and laugh, or just turn away in disgust?

[Sal]

Officials who seek to minimize China's arms development within the U.S. intelligence and policy communities are said to be playing down the seriousness of the ASAT weapon test, arguing in interagency meetings that it was a one-time event that poses no strategic threat.

The Enemy Within IMO.

Gen. Cartwright testified before a Senate subcommittee last year that conventionally armed Trident missiles are needed to pre-empt space attacks through strikes on ASAT missile launchers in China. But, Congress restricted funding for the program in the latest defense spending bill, and Pentagon civilians did not fight to keep the conventional Trident program going. The White House opposed the curbs on the Trident conversion that are part of what the Pentagon calls "prompt global strike" weapons. The restrictions "limit the ability to field a near-term capability to strike globally, precisely, and rapidly with non-nuclear kinetic effects against high-priority, time-sensitive targets," the statement said.

More of The Enemy Within IMO.

[LibLieSlayer]

I despise the chicoms... they are our enemy.

LLS

[CarrotAndStick]

You’re talking about the Mir station, right?

I remember its pea-sized remains falling on some remote Pacific island, Christmas Island? Kiribati??

[driftdiver]

“The total loss of property or human life would be negligible.”

I totally agree however losing assets worth hundreds of millions if not a billion is not a good thing.

[JACKRUSSELL]

(Please FReepmail me if you would like to be on or off of the list.)

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Years ago, the University of Arizona developed a satellite whose purpose was to capture space debris and carry it back to burn up in the atmosphere. It was never launched, but would probably be a good project to resurrect and expand in scope.

It might even be worth it for such a satellite to be able to make a landing. This is because such “space garbage” would show the effects of long-term exposure to space effects like cosmic radiation. This tends to strongly effect materials, sometimes eroding them or making them brittle.