Defense Source: Satellite Shoot-Down Doesn't Pass The Smell Test

crn.com ^ | February 21, 2008 | Damon Poeter

[lasereye]

I just came across this article. Interesting stuff.

[Publius6961]

A two month old story is "interesting stuff?"

Let's get real here...

Let me check a date.

[Cicero]

Doesn’t pass the smell test? That’s pretty silly. I don’t see why they couldn’t have had several reasons for shooting it down rather than just one, including all those mentioned here. Plus it was a chance to get in a little target practice and training and see how well the systems worked.

[the invisib1e hand]

yawn.

[Vroomfondel]

Personally, I don't mind what the excuse for shooting the satellite down was. Proving that we could do it is enough for me.

[LS]

Or maybe we really just wanted to say "STFU" to all those who said "Star Wars doesn't work."

"Were you watching, Kim Joung Il?"

[U S Army EOD]

After reading it, I am so confused, I am not sure if man has ever flown or not.

[coalman]

and the point is,,,what is it now,,Bush lied,,satellites died?
You got to show the chicoms (who know to win a war against us,they have to knock out our satellites)that we can hit theirs,too

[denydenydeny]

Pardon the pun, but these guys are real rocket scientists.

OF COURSE the rationale for shooting down the satellite is questionable. Everyone, up to and including single-celled organisms, knows that the ulterior motive was to put the Chinese and our other adversaries on notice.

[lasereye]

You’re probably right. The article seems to assume an either/or situation.

[Domandred]

Yep they could have put a dummy satellite up that was just for target practice for all I care. The main objective was to see if it could be done. Objective successful.

[Chode]

it was simply a message... nothing more

[Doe Eyes]

Or maybe we really just wanted to say "STFU" to all those who said "Star Wars doesn't work."

I thought "Star Wars" was to be a spaced based missile defense system?

[Billthedrill]

Don’t be silly. Heavier-than-air flight is impossible.

[SpaceBar]

In other news CNN believes the official story about a weapons depot exploding in the New Mexico desert were governmment lies, and will investigate the matter further to see if the “Manhattan Project uranium bomb” rumors have any truth to them.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Al Gore: “The earth is flat and pigs can’t fly.”

[Viking2002]

As someone who spent three years at BMDO, I'll be impressed when they can knock down a Berkeley tree-sitter and not break the branch he was perched on. (Apologies to Rick Lehner.)

[Wonder Warthog]

“The earth is flat and pigs can’t fly.”

At least one pig has been flying since the 1960's.

[BOBTHENAILER]

At least one pig has been flying since the 1960's.

Yep, on Lear Pigs and GulpScreams.

[tet68]

I kind of like the idea that a secret chip board might
just flutter out of the sky into my back yard.
Gives a certain kind of spice to mowing the lawn.