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A US Navy satellite used to provide real-time weather reports has exploded in space.
Sky News ^ | 2 march 2015 | sky news

Posted on 03/02/2015 7:56:18 PM PST by CMB_polarization

The US Air Force confirmed that the 20-year-old Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Flight 13 (DMSP-F13) suffered a "catastrophic event".

It shattered into 43 pieces following a sudden temperature spike which triggered the loss of its altitude control.

The event happened on 3 February but the incident has only just came to light following questions from website Space News.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2006; 201502; 20150203; 2016; dmspf13; explosion; isolatedincident; isolatedincidents; meteorology; satellite; satelliteexplosion; temperaturespike; usaf; usn; weathersatellite
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To: piasa
not that i heard
61 posted on 03/02/2015 8:36:16 PM PST by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -w- NO Pity for the LAZY - 86-44)
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To: SubMareener
These satellites are in orbits that pass though the space fence that is projected up from the 33 parallel across the US. So counting the pieces is not a problem.

Your informative post led me to do a little research. It appears that that fence was decommissioned and a new one is being designed, but is not operational. It appears that small objects are trackable in the interim, however.

Thanks for the pointer to this!

62 posted on 03/02/2015 8:36:17 PM PST by InMemoriam (It's about time that the Leader of the Free World addressed Congress!)
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To: CMB_polarization

Dr Evil didnt get his 10 million freakin’ dollars!


63 posted on 03/02/2015 8:40:07 PM PST by rwoodward ("god, guns and more ammo")
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To: Army Air Corps

It was a space pit bull.


64 posted on 03/02/2015 8:40:54 PM PST by Slings and Arrows ("Ragnarok" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L5nD7-qsEw)
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To: CMB_polarization

Programmed to re-calculate all data so that it shows global warming - couldn’t take the lying any more......


65 posted on 03/02/2015 8:42:37 PM PST by Intolerant in NJ
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To: CMB_polarization
What really happened.

Blnk
66 posted on 03/02/2015 8:42:38 PM PST by minnesota_bound
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To: CMB_polarization

Sounds like a sophisticated spy satellite.


67 posted on 03/02/2015 8:49:35 PM PST by batterycommander (A little more rubble, a lot less trouble.)
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To: CMB_polarization
What country was it over at the event time?

When I found a time/date for the event, I knew someone who was not bound by security would have figured this out somewhere. I couldn't find a source for the historical orbit plotting in a brief search, but this commenter seems to have had that info and placed it over the Americas. So no WWIII this week, I guess.

68 posted on 03/02/2015 8:51:09 PM PST by InMemoriam (It's about time that the Leader of the Free World addressed Congress!)
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To: CMB_polarization

Could be. They have a similar signature on target


69 posted on 03/02/2015 8:52:40 PM PST by Breto (Stranger in a strange land... where did America go?)
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To: Oliviaforever

““Exactly 43 pieces and only 43? And how do they know that?”

That only proves that it was George W. Bush’s fault.”

Heh! Nailed it!


70 posted on 03/02/2015 8:53:10 PM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
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To: null and void

You would see the fuel loss telemetry over time


71 posted on 03/02/2015 8:54:02 PM PST by Breto (Stranger in a strange land... where did America go?)
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To: PAR35

So body sent us a message


72 posted on 03/02/2015 8:54:52 PM PST by Breto (Stranger in a strange land... where did America go?)
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To: CMB_polarization
Dr. Quest's lab computer down in Palm Key has been evaluating the data...


73 posted on 03/02/2015 9:06:07 PM PST by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)
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To: All

“DMSP F13/USA109” Out of service since 2009 according to NASA: http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/missions/dmsp.html
http://nsidc.org/data/docs/daac/f13_platform.gd.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Meteorological_Satellite_Program
“DMSP 15” is the current model.


74 posted on 03/02/2015 9:08:20 PM PST by Drago
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To: InMemoriam

If you look at your link and follow back to the guy who has the chart that points to the main explosion happening at 7:15, it appears that the thing had been coming apart for a few hours prior to that time, loosing four major and one minor part prior to rapid disintegration. It likely wasn’t over the U.S. when whatever happened that began the process. https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/570750412573134848/photo/1


75 posted on 03/02/2015 9:09:31 PM PST by Hieronymus ( (It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged. --G. K. Chesterton))
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To: CMB_polarization

>>Took them a month to fess up to this.<<

Makes you wonder if this was really a “weather” satellite.


76 posted on 03/02/2015 9:09:34 PM PST by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God! ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: UCANSEE2

Makes you wonder if the reason Clapper said this was because they know it was destroyed and by whom?


77 posted on 03/02/2015 9:15:30 PM PST by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God! ROLL TIDE!!)
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To: Lil Flower

Perhaps it had been visited by an X-37 at some time in the past for purpose of an upgrade.


78 posted on 03/02/2015 9:22:36 PM PST by CMB_polarization
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To: CMB_polarization

Yes, exactly how DOD described their weapon, China attempting to show they can do the same thing


79 posted on 03/02/2015 9:29:50 PM PST by dila813
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To: dila813

Or they needed to self-destruct the satellite to foil prying eyes and robotic arms.


80 posted on 03/02/2015 9:31:52 PM PST by CMB_polarization
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