US to shoot down broken spy sat

reply to post by percievedreality


I would imagine that they aren't ready to show their hand.


What I was trying to say in my thread earlier (I couldn't seem to get to the point.) was that I think it could be a cover up to take out our communication system. Not sure if that was presented.

I'm guessing - and its only a guess - that this is a KH12 spy satellite, and possibly one of the more recent ones, which is why they want it in tiny unrecognisable pieces rather than potentially exposing the optics/on board systems to recovery and review if it doesn't burn up fully.

I also think its an excuse to show what the US is capable of, although I was unaware that Aegis had this capability.

I was under the impression we had lasers that could knock this thing down. Maybe they will use what ever weapon sent projectiles at the UFOs on STS-48 if my memory serves correct.

Originally posted by neformore
I'm guessing - and its only a guess - that this is a KH12 spy satellite, and possibly one of the more recent ones

I think i remember reading somewhere that this satellite's had only been in space for a couple of years, makes you wonder why they couldn't repair it?

I've been waiting to read this decision by the DoD. It must be a real de-lemon to figure out which technology to use as it all hinges on National Security.
Do they use the latest weapons in the arsenal or do they use the old tried and true?

Why not blast it with one of the those next generation pulse beam weapon or is that what de-commissioned it in the first place?

Perhaps they (DoD) finally figured it was going to drop into unfriendly
hands, landing on earth verses within the 200 mile safety zone of the USA
ocean.

This USA 193 was launched in Dec of 2006

[edit on 14-2-2008 by Skydancer]

Originally posted by solidshot
I think i remember reading somewhere that this satellite's had only been in space for a couple of years, makes you wonder why they couldn't repair it?

Well...I'm going to extend my theory a bit more. A few years back the Chinese were "blinding" satellites with lasers as they passed over. I'm wondering if the optics in this bird are ruined to such a level that its impractical to save them using a shuttle mission.

There is already a thread for this at www.abovetopsecret.com...

What if it has a mutated version of H5N1, and blowing it up over N.America causes the virus to go into the air and blow around, and everyone gets infected? Or is that too high up in the atmosphere for those particles to come to the ground?

Or what if "sending a rocket to it" and blowing it up is just a cover for *not* blowing it up, and having it hit Iran or North America, with it's RTG's being like a mini-nuke "terror attack". What if it's little rocket boosters really *do* work, and they can keep it in a controlled descent (too 100miles or KM not sure, whenever terminal is), until march or april, then people would not question the source of the mini-nuke as the satellite if it was already blown. If they "blow it up" over the ocean, would anyone actually be able to actually see the explosion, even with telescopes?

Very interesting timing this announcement ... it's over shadowing the other top national/global stories

1)FEMA moving everyone out of Trailers
2)The Bagdad Mental Hospital director arrested over his involvement in the al-Ghaz marking bombing
3)The sub prime bail out
4) The senate and house bills on eavesdropping/waterboarding of American's
daily communications.

[edit on 14-2-2008 by Skydancer]

reply to post by Skydancer


Actually its awesome timing - between this and the Shuttle being up there right now at the ISS adding the Columbus module, it's all thumbs up and high fives...
but in reality...the US Economy may be in trouble (Bernike says no recession in 08 but we have a mortgage/credit crunch), craziness over in the Middle East (not just Baghdad), undersea Internet cables cut, the House and Senate just being crappy in general, an unpopular President, Jane Fonda dropping the "C" bomb on the today show...
This puts all the problems away and makes us feel like we are the Best Superpower Ever!!! Our Tech Rocks!!! (but our country is going to hell in a handbasket)

Kind of funny, isn't that the sat which supposely was spying over some top secret Russian location.
I hope it doesn't land on the heads of people.

reply to post by neformore


Most spy satellites are in a polar orbit (so they pass over the every point on the entire planet at some time). The Shuttle can not reach polar orbit. Also, there is the fact that a Shuttle launch costs about $1 Billion, and the schedule is completely full with ISS construction missions and Hubble repair until retirement. It's simply not feasible to send up an additional mission. A new satellite can be built and sent up much cheaper.

Likely, this is just a good opportunity to do a live test on the SM-3 Ballistic Missile Defense System.

And just so people understand, the SM-3 doesn't use an explosive warhead. It's simply a kinetic kill vehicle. Basically, a dense hunk of metal that does its damage by slamming into the target as high speed.

[edit on 14-2-2008 by nataylor]

reply to post by nataylor


Great info added there! So now we know what the system is.



So a Kinetic warhead would mean that we are smashing it not blowing it up...So now we are just adding debris to LEO right?

reply to post by harddrive21


Essentially, yeah, there will be a bunch of space junk resulting from this. But they know orbit and it will be tracked just like all the other space junk. What does deorbit will burn up much easier because it'll be in smaller, non-aerodynamic pieces.

reply to post by nataylor


Sorry - Looks like I got that in before the edit. Still a problem though right? More space junk. The gov was complaining about the hydrazine fuel coming to Earth - it still may though if they don't "wack" it just right. Can't it still either come down in the atmosphere or crash down in the fuel tanks?

The satellite was launched in December 2006 by a Delta II launch vehicle.

The satellite's onboard systems failed shortly after launch and it's orbit has been decaying ever since.

The maneuvering thrusters on the satellite use Hydrazine. While a large explosion probably would not occur, an intra-atmospheric breakup could spread this very hazardous substance over a large area. Hydrazine will jack you up if you touch it or breathe it.

The satellite also contains an extremely sophisticated 'imaging sensor' (no comment) that is best not recovered by a foreign country. It is better that they don't know how advanced our imaging technology is and that they are not able to estimate our capabilities.

Originally posted by harddrive21

[The gov was complaining about the hydrazine fuel coming to Earth - it still may though if they don't "wack" it just right. Can't it still either come down in the atmosphere or crash down in the fuel tanks?

The satellite will be converted from mass to energy. The SM-3 kinetic warhead will leave behind only very small pieces that will enter the atmosphere and burn up.

The hydrazine will either be destroyed in the collision or it will be dispersed over a very large area, rendering it harmless.

If this thing made it back to the earth in big chunks all the hydrazine concentrated in one place could be very dangerous.

In short, there is no reason NOT to try and kill it.

reply to post by emsed1


Good info Emsed - Thank You. Here is another good article and a snippet :

blog.wired.com...



Alot of effort and money being spent for something that may harm an area 2 football fields in size. Looks like the real mission is to destroy the optics/electronics.

Someone not that long ago claimed this satellite was sent up to take out the asteroid that passed 1.5 lunar distances away from us (when in reality it was going to hit us and this mysterious satellite was going to push it away, saving us). Anybody else remember that?

reply to post by harddrive21


It looks like hydrazine is not as nasty as I thought. There is a government page here:

Hydrazine Info

It sounds nasty but it looks like it dissipates quickly.