Should Reduce Risk Of Debris Falling Into Wrong Hands
Concerned a defective surveillance satellite might fall
into the wrong hands when it deorbits early next month, the
Pentagon will reportedly blast the errant satellite from the
sky.
The Associated Press states the Bush administration supports a
plan to fire a missile from a US Navy cruiser to shoot down the
satellite sometime next week. As ANN reported, the
satellite was launched from California just over one year ago, but
stopped responding to commands from earth shortly after it reached
orbit.
Ostensibly, the plan is aimed at protecting those on the ground
from hazardous materials onboard the satellite, including its
nearly-full hydrazine fuel tank.
"Although the chances of an impact in a populated area are
small, the potential consequences would be of enough concern to
consider mitigating actions," the Department of Defense stated in a
release to ANN. "Therefore, the President has decided to take
action to mitigate the risk to human lives by engaging the
non-functioning satellite."
But the plan has two additional benefits to the military, as
well.
Destroying the satellite will prevent the sensitive technology
onboard -- specifically, a top-secret imaging sensor -- from
potentially falling into the hands of China, Russia, or Iran -- as
no one is really sure where debris from the deorbiting satellite
would land. It will also give the US military its first chance to
test a planned missile defense system under real-world
conditions.
"Because our missile defense system is not designed to engage
satellites, extraordinary measures have been taken to temporarily
modify three sea-based tactical missiles and three ships to carry
out the engagement," the DoD adds.
Officials stress the
Pentagon plans a different approach to the one taken by China in January 2007, when
that country launched a medium-range missile to destroy one of its
own decommissioned weather satellites. That explosion resulted in
the potential for dangerous debris in orbit.
To decrease the amount of flotsam that would remain orbiting
Earth, military personnel reportedly plan to fire the missile near
the end of the US satellite's orbital rotation, in a location that
should -- in theory, anyway -- decrease not only the amount of
on-orbit debris, but also the amount of debris that could fall to
Earth intact.
As much as half of the 5,000-pound spacecraft could have
survived reentry if the satellite was allowed to fall to Earth on
its own, according to officials.
There's no word yet on an exact time when officials will send up
the missile.