Maybe they can use the Russian pistol in the space station. ;)

This is the future of man's endless need to do whatever man needs to do - garbage out of control.

Nice.

Isn't satellite retrieval a priority to ensure tech secrets and all that? This sounds extremely suspect.

Does it have a nuclear reactor? Will it's debris spread mainly over somewhere heavily populated such as the New York area? What are the short-term cancer risks? Does Pentagon prepare for these press releases or are they purposefully appearing "seat o'yer pants"?

Nothing nuclear in this satellite, RLR. There was no risk two weeks ago. Now they've cited hydrazine as the risk. Highly unlikely as hydrazine quickly disperses. More likely they don't want to risk any anything being recovered.

This sounds extremely suspect.


Great way to test a missile and avoid controversy.

Didnt China reciently shoot down one of their own satalites? Wasn't there a little talk of them being able to take down our satalites? This is just the U.S. showing them that we can take them out as well.

No, they are going to shoot down the mothership that has been orbiting our planet for a while now. That is just he cover story. Keep your tinfoil hats on.

No, they are going to shoot down the mothership that has been orbiting our planet for a while now. That is just he cover story. Keep your tinfoil hats on.

Posted by halo3 at 2008-02-14 10:59 PM

Now you did it. Buffalo Boob will smell this and come running.

Target practice - after all, in the future we may be at odds with China and would want to be able to knock out their satellites.

Godalmighty. Between the Navy, NSA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department, we'll be lucky if the missile doesn't crash through the Chinese embassy in Moscow.

Want this done right and on the cheap, Go Army.

perhaps they should call bruce willis?

Isn't satellite retrieval a priority to ensure tech secrets and all that? This sounds extremely suspect.

Posted by redlightrobot
===================
They are really envious of the Chinese performing this feat last year and now want to try their hand at it.

I hope they "miss" and "accidentally" take out the AlJazeera satellite instead. That way we wont have to hear from them or CNN.

Cheers,
Walt

Hell just Pray to God and have Him send a lightning Bolt upto it and take it out that way. It would be cheap(Free) and You would be guaranteed an accurate shot cause God don't miss.

Larry Mohr

The US and Russia have had anti-satellite capability for at least 25 years. I can see why you all are suspect. The US use to launch their spy satellites under the pretense of conducting space research on small animals.


I don't think this is anything like that. This object is so low it's going to break apart and hit earth. They don't want it hitting any populated areas and doing harm.

This is nothing like the Chinese, who blow up a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit. They filled space with thousand of pieces of "buckshot" which will orbit for a 100 years, and ruin the flight path of anything even close to where their satellite was located.

Dave, what is the difference in the 2 sats that are/were shot down? Why wont ours leave tons of bits in orbit?

Cheers,
Walt

Walt,
I figure I'd respond to your question. The Chinese ASAT test in January 2007 took place approximately 600 miles above Earth's surface. In the simplest terms, at this altitude the time it would take for an object to re-enter the atmosphere is much greater. This essentially means that the thousands of pieces will continue to orbit for decades before they would even potentially begin to be drawn into the atmosphere. (Think of it as a very slow spiral towards Earth)

The United States is shooting down the satellite at approximately 130 naut. miles above Earth. At this altitude, objects are already on the verge of re-entry. Breaking up the object at this altitude basically increases the surface area directly prior to re-entry and vastly increases the percentage of total "burn up".

I hope they "miss". Not me. If the taxpayers are footing the bill, I hope they hit the mothership and then some!

Tin Foil hat on and Ray Gun on my side.

So the USA (who has been able to shoot sats out of the sky for decades) is jealous that China was finally able to do it one year ago?

How odd.

We are simply showing them and the Russians that we have a new and improved way of destroying a satellite, and that we can do it at a much, much higher altitude than the chinese.

Sit and spin you defeatist bitches, I know you want to speak chinese in the next decade, but it'll have to wait.

"...Hell just Pray to God and have Him send a lightning Bolt upto it and take it out that way. It would be cheap(Free) and You would be guaranteed an accurate shot cause God don't miss...."

Yes, Larry...as is obvious by this past week's Lightening Strike right on top of Jeebus's Head in rio De Janiro!

gotta go with NAS8888 on this one. And a bit of Show 'n Tell for the other two major military powers on this little blue dot.

When the Chinese fired a missle and destroyed their own broken satellite a lot of people got worried.

Some of the more thoughtful people wondered whether the US or any others had the same ability. It took maybe a second to realize that it really was a no brainer.

Removing your wartime opponents observation equipment would be a necessity.

Now to protect our secrets, it seems that even a navy ship has that simple ability.

One question I have wondered at and know that I will never hear an answer to.

How many of the special launches are in fact "duplicate" as well as "dormant units in "waiting.

In the event of war or some as yet unknown need, we will need functional space observation and communications platforms.

Seems all most a no brainer or does it?

So the USA (who has been able to shoot sats out of the sky for decades) is jealous that China was finally able to do it one year ago?

How odd.

Posted by 101Chairborne
=============
I don't think we've ever done it. We have had satellites fall to earth before but nothing was ever mentioned about shooting one down even though we supposedly had the capability for 25 years according to someones post.

go figure the US needs to shoot something

In regards to the United States' past ASAT capabilities, look into "Celestial Eagle Flight" or ASM-135. In 1985, an F-15 was strapped with 20 foot missile and sent on a 40,000 ft near vertical climb. It's pretty interesting, though quite different than the approach which the United States is planning for within the next handful of days.

I sure hope the don't miss. Think of the embarrasment what with China shooting one out of the sky earlier.

I think zap had it right. We need to do real tests of anti-missle systems and most of the ones we have done have been rather low level tests and staged a bit...this thing would be a bit more of a realistic target has it would have a similar trajectory as an ICBM.

This way we can test it without a lot of complaints from the ROW.

You're right. Any chance to test our BMD systems is a positive. However, this is a target which is, in fact, MUCH different than a ballistic missile. The trajectory of missiles can be accurately calculated because they are aerodynamic. This satellite has zero aerodynamic properties, won't follow any predictable path, and thus is much more difficult to intercept.

Nonetheless, I'm excited to see if we reach our objective on the first shot.

The Pentagon Lies.

The PENTAGON Lies!

I repeat...

THE PENTAGON LIES!!

wow....monstman must be a "free thinker"

"Nonetheless, I'm excited to see if we reach our objective on the first shot."

I figure we'll nick it, maybe knocking off an antenna or solar panel or something. That will make it begin tumbling erratically, spinning out of control, making it far more dangerous and difficult, if not impossible, to deal with.

Which will lead our beloved President to declare "Mission Accomplished".

""Nonetheless, I'm excited to see if we reach our objective on the first shot."

I figure we'll nick it, maybe knocking off an antenna or solar panel or something. That will make it begin tumbling erratically, spinning out of control, making it far more dangerous and difficult, if not impossible, to deal with.

Is that comedy or are you truly that cynical?
either way your comments are pathetic and thats sad! :(

NAS8 has reported right on target, at barely above weightlessness the satellite, is doomed to a quick death. Unlike China's boner of a move, which will orbit for decades.

HOWEVER there is some degree of showmanship here. You can be sure China, russia, and others will be watching. Mission accomplished dumb fucks included!!!!

Why can't they just use that gun on the space station?

"Is that comedy or are you truly that cynical?"

Are you that dense or do you truly enjoy dropping the soap around here?