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Navy Missile Hits Spy Satellite
AP via Drudge Report ^
| February 20, 2008 10:53 PM US/Eastern
| By ROBERT BURNS
Posted on 02/20/2008 7:51:05 PM PST by TexasBeth
Edited on 02/20/2008 8:10:37 PM PST by Admin Moderator.
[history]
WASHINGTON (AP) - A missile launched from a Navy ship successfully struck a dying U.S. spy satellite passing 130 miles over the Pacific on Wednesday, a defense official said. Full details were not immediately available.
It happened just after 10:30 p.m. EST.
Two officials said the missile was launched successfully. One official, who is close to the process, said it hit the target. He said details on the results were not immediately known.
The goal in this first-of-its-kind mission for the Navy was not just to hit the satellite but to obliterate a tank aboard the spacecraft carrying 1,000 pounds of a toxic fuel called hydrazine.
U.S. officials have said the fuel would pose a potential health hazard to humans if it landed in a populated area. Although the odds of that were small even if the Pentagon had chosen not to try to shoot down the satellite, it was determined that it was worth trying to eliminate even that small chance.
Officials said it might take a day or longer to know for sure if the toxic fuel was blown up......"
TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aegis; boom; chinaterrified; dod; missiledefense; nmd; satellite; sdi; space; starwars; thenavy; usn
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To: Ghost of Philip Marlowe
Obviously, the Bush Administration completely failed in its diplomacy to reach some sort of an agreement with the satellite. The satellite, like all satellites, is not our enemy. If it wanted to strike us, it was because of our imperialist attitude toward satellites and our lack of tolerance of the satellittic religion. ROFL, you're a master at this! Kudos!
301
posted on
02/21/2008 6:29:54 AM PST
by
Smile-n-Win
(Between a wolf in a sheep's clothing and wolf in a wolf's clothing, which is the more dangerous one?)
To: stockstrader; SandRat
^5 to those sailors, engineers and technicians!!!! WAY TO GO GUYS,,,YOU MADE US PROUD!!!
SandRat's son was working on that project. Give your boy a hearty back-pat for us, SR!
302
posted on
02/21/2008 6:31:32 AM PST
by
randog
(What the...?!)
To: F15Eagle
I suspect that given the relative infancy of this technology that they hoped for calmer seas. In a real situation, it probably wouldn’t matter much. You have to see this as an “experimental” or “test” launch, after all. One of the things you need on a “test” is sensors, such as cameras, etc., to observe a missile launch. The missile gyros, etc, are not going to be much affected by winds or heavy seas after the launch, but those tracking sensors would be.
The reporters may not have been told such factors, they probably couldn’t appreciate the importance if they were told, and it is highly unlikely they could figure such factors out by themselves.
303
posted on
02/21/2008 6:37:23 AM PST
by
AFPhys
((.Praying for President Bush, our troops, their families, and all my American neighbors..))
To: NormsRevenge
“Because the satellite was orbiting at a relatively low altitude at the time it was hit by the missile, debris will begin to re-enter the Earths atmosphere immediately, the Pentagon statement said.”
Making them difficult to track. Sure, this was about all about a fuel thank, not spy equipment...
304
posted on
02/21/2008 6:39:59 AM PST
by
elfman2
(Bill Carson)
To: NormsRevenge
Way to go guys! Now Obama or Hillary can give the technology to China.
305
posted on
02/21/2008 6:40:10 AM PST
by
jetson
To: randog
306
posted on
02/21/2008 6:40:55 AM PST
by
Pistolshot
(Remember, no matter how bad your life is, someone is watching and enjoying your suffering.)
To: F15Eagle
I don't believe either the "calm seas" nor the "10 second launch window" I heard in press "reports" leading up to this. The VLS system can launch in significant seas. The ship's onboard computer - the Aegis weapons system - can compensate for ship motion and shoot at the moment the deck is level, or even pitched in a favorable direction.
I think both items may have been a little mis-information and/or simply laying the groundwork for an excuse on a pass on one shot/orbit while waiting for the next. Most people don't want to hear the gory technical details, and some of them we don't want released.
To: TomGuy
308
posted on
02/21/2008 6:43:14 AM PST
by
elfman2
(Bill Carson)
To: Jeff Head
To: Ghost of Philip Marlowe
310
posted on
02/21/2008 6:52:46 AM PST
by
elfman2
(Bill Carson)
To: stockstrader
311
posted on
02/21/2008 6:57:16 AM PST
by
Dooderbutt
(Al Gore - now the most sanctimonious lardbutt Yank on the planet ~ D. Thompson)
To: BOBWADE
312
posted on
02/21/2008 7:00:29 AM PST
by
elfman2
(Bill Carson)
To: Pistolshot
Cool video of the intercept
HERE. Sure looks blown up to me.
313
posted on
02/21/2008 7:02:14 AM PST
by
Rio
(Don't make me come over there....)
Comment #314 Removed by Moderator
To: Southack
Now, paint a satellite icon on the bridge or tower of that ship!I'll drink to that!
315
posted on
02/21/2008 7:11:21 AM PST
by
Eaker
(If illegal immigrants were so great for an economy; Mexico would be building a wall to keep them in)
To: Eaker
“So what did you do on your little cruise, honey?”
Oh, I shot down a satellite, saving innocent lives from toxic missile fuel while protecting national secrets...
316
posted on
02/21/2008 7:21:32 AM PST
by
Southack
(Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
To: buccaneer81; AFPhys; theymakemesick; eyedigress
I guess I should have added a “Sarcasm” tag. I, too, would rather see my tax dollars used to build munitions in the states than give out as election candy from the socialist party. Amazing technology for a bullet to hit another bullet!
To: clintonh8r
Just a big chunk (or chunks) of depleted uranium, coated with steel.
318
posted on
02/21/2008 7:27:28 AM PST
by
TheThirdRuffian
(McCain is the best candidate of the Democrat party.)
To: BluH2o
Pucker factor went up 10 notches with the Russians and Chicoms ... not good news for them. Given that the setellit was in space traveling something like 17,000 miles per hour I'd say we just sent a mesage thru demonstration that our star wars capability is up and running, thanks to President reagan.
319
posted on
02/21/2008 7:31:54 AM PST
by
1Old Pro
(I feel sooo calm, that I'll probably forget to vote for McLame.)
To: Dooderbutt
“DU reaction”
Wow, what an amazing group of America-haters.
320
posted on
02/21/2008 7:32:33 AM PST
by
TheThirdRuffian
(McCain is the best candidate of the Democrat party.)
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