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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: Steely Tom
Although one might wonder if a 20-year-old satellite has very much propellant left on board. When I was in Technical School training to be on the launch crew of the Titan II ICBM a couple of the instructors took us out to part of the abandoned flight line and produced two vials. One had about 50ml of the Unsymmetrical Di-methyl Hydrazine/Hydrazine mix (the Titan II fuel) and the other vial had about 100ml of Nitrogen Tetroxide (the Titan II oxidizer). They placed the two vials on the concrete inside a coffee can and then placed a steel rod tripod over the vials. Using a brick suspended on a string from the tripod over the vials we moved back about 100 feet and then they let the brick drop from the tripod. The brick flew about 70 or more feet.
The hypergolic fuels and oxidizers are always a mixture of some kind of Hydrazine and the Nitrogen Tetroxide and just a small amount will tear apart a satellite if they leak.
81
posted on
03/02/2015 9:32:35 PM PST
by
OldMissileer
(Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, PK. Winners of the Cold War)
To: CMB_polarization
Its obsolete technology, if anything they used our own satellite for target practice.
82
posted on
03/02/2015 9:36:40 PM PST
by
dila813
To: dila813
So it was designed to break apart nicely, into 43 pieces.
To: CMB_polarization
84
posted on
03/02/2015 9:48:03 PM PST
by
steve86
(Prophecies of Maelmhaedhoc OÂ’Morgair (Latin form: Malachy))
To: PROCON
85
posted on
03/02/2015 10:01:08 PM PST
by
MaxMax
(Pay Attention and you'll be pissed off too! FIRE BOEHNER, NOW!)
To: UCANSEE2
ahhhh....are you suggesting it was a spy satellite disguised as a weather satellite?
86
posted on
03/02/2015 10:08:18 PM PST
by
grania
To: CMB_polarization
I wonder if this is related to the bizarre weather forecasts I have seen online for the past few weeks?
87
posted on
03/02/2015 10:13:00 PM PST
by
PghBaldy
(12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
To: piasa
It was peaceniks protesting drones or soemthing.
88
posted on
03/02/2015 10:14:47 PM PST
by
PghBaldy
(12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
To: CMB_polarization
Definite sign of global warming or, at least, climate change.
89
posted on
03/02/2015 10:22:34 PM PST
by
353FMG
To: Attention Surplus Disorder; Chode; Spktyr; SgtBob; cripplecreek; Oliviaforever; publius911; ...
Exactly 43 pieces and only 43? And how do they know that?43? So, whose fault is it? 43? Hmm
Capt. Oblivious to the rescue!!!
90
posted on
03/02/2015 10:27:19 PM PST
by
mabarker1
(congress, The Opposite of Progress.)
To: Fungi
SPADOC tracking - or whatever it’s called now.
91
posted on
03/02/2015 10:34:09 PM PST
by
SaveFerris
(Be a blessing to a stranger today for some have entertained angels unaware)
To: publius911
You can restart the Aerojet engine to adjust altitude. Or let slow decay do the opposite.
All these birds do more than their “advertised” functions.
They change altitude sometimes for a closer inspection.
Or something like that.
92
posted on
03/02/2015 10:39:13 PM PST
by
SaveFerris
(Be a blessing to a stranger today for some have entertained angels unaware)
To: UCANSEE2
93
posted on
03/02/2015 10:42:06 PM PST
by
SaveFerris
(Be a blessing to a stranger today for some have entertained angels unaware)
To: DocRock
"Temperature spike? Huh, what could possibly cause that? /s"
An International Space Station newbie tossed a joint out the window.
To: All
95
posted on
03/02/2015 11:14:25 PM PST
by
musicman
(Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
To: InMemoriam; SubMareener
Note that it appears that the Sultan’s DOD shut down the old system without having the new one up and running.
BTW, when Shuttle Columbia was breaking up over north Texas it flew damn near directly over the top of the Kickapoo Lafe Station. I thought sure some professional journalist would ask NASA about them tracking the pieces. HA!, stupid silly Me!
96
posted on
03/03/2015 12:27:53 AM PST
by
Rockpile
To: PghBaldy
97
posted on
03/03/2015 12:36:52 AM PST
by
piasa
(Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
To: CMB_polarization
Seems it was also storing Hillary’s emails...
Sometimes satellites just crash.
98
posted on
03/03/2015 3:59:05 AM PST
by
outofsalt
( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
To: CMB_polarization
"Think they would have vented excess fuel into space long ago." I was just trying to help the investigation with TWA 800 references.
99
posted on
03/03/2015 4:00:52 AM PST
by
Flag_This
(You can't spell "treason" without the "O".)
To: mabarker1
pretty much
100
posted on
03/03/2015 4:42:15 AM 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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