By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - President Bush has ordered the Pentagon
to use a Navy missile to attempt to destroy a broken U.S. spy satellite and thereby minimize the risk to humans from its toxic fuel by
intercepting it just before it re-enters the atmosphere, officials said
Thursday.
The
effort the first of its kind will be undertaken because of the
potential that people in the area where the satellite would otherwise
crash could be harmed, the officials said.
Deputy National Security Adviser James Jeffrey, briefing reporters
at the Pentagon, did not say when the attempted intercept would be
conducted, but the satellite is expected to hit Earth during the first week of March.
"This is all about trying to reduce the danger to human beings," Jeffrey said.
Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
said at the same briefing that the "window of opportunity" for such a
shootdown, presumably to be launched from a Navy ship, will open in the
next three or four days and last for seven or eight days. He did not
say whether the Pentagon has decided on an exact launch date.
Cartwright said this will be an unprecedented effort; he would not say exactly what are the odds of success.
"This is the first time we've used a tactical missile to engage a spacecraft," Cartwright said.
After extensive study and analysis, U.S. officials came to the
conclusion that, "we're better off taking the attempt than not,"
Cartwright said.
He said a Navy missile known as Standard Missile 3 would be fired in
an attempt to intercept the satellite just prior to it re-entering
Earth's atmosphere. It would be "next to impossible" to hit the
satellite after that because of atmospheric disturbances, Cartwright
said.
A second goal, he said, is to directly hit the fuel tank in order to minimize the amount of fuel that returns to Earth.
Software associated with the Standard Missile 3 has been modified to
enhance the chances of the missile's sensors recognizing that the
satellite is its target; he noted that the missile's designed mission
is to shoot down ballistic missiles, not satellites. Other officials
said the missile's maximum range, while a classified figure, is not
great enough to hit a satellite operating in normal orbits.
"It's a one-time deal," Cartwright said when asked whether the
modified Standard Missile 3 should be considered a new U.S.
anti-satellite weapon technology.
Cartwright also said that if an initial shootdown attempt fails, a decision will be made whether to take a second shot.
Jeffrey said members of Congress were briefed on the plan earlier
Thursday and that diplomatic notifications to other countries would be
made before the end of the day.
Shooting down a satellite is particularly sensitive because of the controversy surrounding China's anti-satellite test last year, when Beijing shot down one of its defunct weather satellites, drawing immediate criticism from the U.S. and other countries.
A key concern at that time was the debris created by Chinese
satellite's destruction and that will also be a focus now, as the
U.S. determines exactly when and under what circumstances to shoot down
its errant satellite.
The military will have to choose a time and a location that will
avoid to the greatest degree any damage to other satellites in the sky.
Also, there is the possibility that large pieces could remain, and
either stay in orbit where they can collide with other satellites or
possibly fall to Earth.
It is not known where the satellite will hit. But officials familiar
with the situation say about half of the 5,000-pound spacecraft is
expected to survive its blazing descent through the atmosphere and will
scatter debris some of it potentially hazardous over several
hundred miles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of
the sensitivity of the matter.
The satellite is outfitted with thrusters small engines used
to position it in space. They contain the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine,
which can cause harm to anyone who contacts it. Officials have said
there is about 1,000 pounds of propellent on the satellite.
Known by its military designation US 193, the satellite was
launched in December 2006. It lost power and its central computer
failed almost immediately afterward, leaving it uncontrollable. It
carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor.
Very Disturbing. I think they should have just tried this first and then told us if it failed, otherwise just kept it on the down low. I think by not giving odds of success they are saying, "The odds are just about as good as Bruce Willis' team of roughnecks saving the world by digging a giant hole in a meteor to place a nuclear bomb which was detonated just as the ship of survivors escaped, yet oddly the blast did not harm the ship or it's trajectory." I should just not read the internets.
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