Russia: US Satellite Shot a Weapons Test

Russia: US Satellite Shot a Weapons Test

www.breitbart.com

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia said Saturday that U.S. military plans to shoot down a damaged spy satellite may be a veiled test of America's missile defense system.

The Pentagon failed to provide "enough arguments" to back its plan to smash the satellite next week with a missile, Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"There is an impression that the United States is trying to use the accident with its satellite to test its national anti-missile defense system's capability to destroy other countries' satellites," the ministry said.

The Bush administration says the operation is not a test of a program to kill other nations' orbiting communications and intelligence capabilities. U.S. diplomats around the world have been instructed to inform governments that it is meant to protect people from 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel on the bus-sized satellite hurtling toward Earth.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 2-16-2008 by worldwatcher]

I would agree except that if it was "veiled" why would it even be announced? Is it possible the sat was disabled intentionally to create such a scenario, i doubt it. It is awfully convientant though.

www.breitbart.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

(Hat tip to the drudge report www.drudgereport.com...)

[edit on 16-2-2008 by LwSiX]

Originally posted by LwSiX
I would agree except that if it was "veiled" why would it even be announced?

I think America would announce it for psychological reasons more than anything else. It's their way of saying "Nice shiny Satellites you got there, we can shoot them down like clay pigeons" which would them lead me to think that they have already tested the technology as they dare not lose face in front of a world audience.

Imagine Abedinejad and putins faces if Americas fails to shoot the Sat down

All this talk about toxic propellant sounds pretty scary, until you read between the lines:

Link
If the hydrazine tank did burst, the danger zone would be an area covering the size of two football pitches.

Two football pitches in the middle of the ocean? Quick, let's shoot it down!

Weve have had the capabilities to shoot down satellites for 20 years according to officials...they said that after asked if this was to compete with China

As for the hydrazine, if it comes down in the ocean sure, no problem. What about on land?

As for the 20 year claim, it's actually 23 years now. On Sept 13, 1985 an F-15 launched from Vandenburg AFB, zoom climed to 80,000 feet, and launched the only launch of an ASM-135A ASAT weapon at a "live" satellite. They successfully shot down the Solwind P78-1. There were a total of 5 launches made, only one was targeted at a satellite. The first launch took place in January 1984. The first four were "aimed" at points in space, to see if they would work as advertised. After the one and only shot that killed a satellite the program was cancelled as part of a treaty with the Soviet Union.

It is a no win situation for the United States. Shoot it down, they got the other countries down thier troat. Don't shoot it down. It fall in the ocean. Causing some fishies to die. They end up haveing the Environmentalist down thier troat.

From Spaceweather.com here is an amature photograph of the satellite.

Something I don't understand about this whole thing. Why do they think it will not burn up on re-entry? The shuttle disintegrated. Does it have some sort of heat shield for re-entry? I wouldn't think so. It just seems a bit odd. It really makes me think they are just testing the missles to keep from pissing off Russia. But then again I guess Russia already knows what is going on, so why try and hide it?

[edit on 16-2-2008 by Daz3d-n-Confus3d]

Originally posted by Daz3d-n-Confus3d

Something I don't understand about this whole thing. Why do they think it will not burn up on re-entry?

The fuel in question has frozen solid and is clad in a metal tank. The worry is that it would serve as a adequate reentry vehicle and thus hit intact with its load.

The New Soviets can moan all they want. the bottom line is that this in no way means that the system could take down craft in Geostationary orbits and they damm well know it. Its just an attempt to inflame the ignorant.

Notice they say nothing about thier already operational ability to knock down sateleites, nor thier already fielded ABM system?

reply to post by FredT


Thanks Fred. I guess I missed the frozen part. I still tend to think that the tanks would melt, but I definitely am no scientist or engineer.
As for the Soviets, I agree with you on that completely. They have once again started their Cold War tactics and propaganda. I am sure as we speak they are in a flaming rush trying to design their own missle shield.

Originally posted by LwSiX

I would agree except that if it was "veiled" why would it even be announced? Is it possible the sat was disabled intentionally to create such a scenario, i doubt it. It is awfully convientant though.

For the same reason we are all here Disinformation my friend the CIA spends half of their budget on disinformation why should we believe that any other arm of the government is any different..


Respectfully
GEO

It's the old ability to "talk out of both sides of your face at once". They have this innate ability to spin anything to make it sound like something positive, when they have an ulterior motive. The very real truth here is that both are more than likely true. They want to prevent people from getting hurt, but they are also testing this new system of stopping an opponents satellites from reaching orbit.

Don't want China or Russia spying on us, now do we?

TheBorg