Satellite is weeks away from hitting Earth
- Thread starter Chipstone306
- Start date
Chipstone306
New member
WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is developing contingency plans to deal with the possibility a large spy satellite expected to fall to Earth in late February or early March could hit North America.
"We're aware that this satellite is out there," Renuart said.
"We're aware it is a fairly substantial size. And we know there is at least some percentage that it could land on ground as opposed to in the water."
A U.S. official confirmed the spy satellite, which lost power and no longer can be controlled, was launched in December 2006 and could weigh as much as 4.5 tonnes. It carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor but the satellite's central computer failed shortly after launch.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret, said the satellite is designated by the military as US 193 but it never reached its final orbit and the Pentagon declared it a total loss in early 2007.
Renuart added: "As it looks like it might re-enter into the North American area," then the U.S. military along with the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will either have to deal with the impact or assist Canadian or Mexican authorities.
Military agencies, he said, are doing an analysis to determine which pieces most likely would survive re-entry. But he cautioned officials won't have much detail on where or when it will crash until it begins to move through the atmosphere and break up.
Renuart added there does not as yet appear to be much concern about sensitive technologies on the satellite falling into enemy hands.
"I'm not aware that we have a security issue," he said.
"It's really just a big thing falling on the ground that we want to make sure we're prepared for."
The satellite includes some small engines that contain a toxic chemical called hydrazine - which is rocket fuel. But Renuart said they are not large booster engines with substantial amounts of fuel.
Initial estimates were that the satellite would take years to degrade and re-enter the atmosphere.
Video images of the satellite captured by John Locker, a British amateur satellite watcher, show it to be about four to five metres across. Locker calculated its size with data on its altitude and location provided by other amateur satellite watchers, using the International Space Station as a yardstick.
Satellite watchers - a worldwide network of hobbyists who track satellites for fun - have been plotting the satellite's degradation for a year. They estimate it is now at an altitude of about 278 kilometres, and Locker believes it is dropping about 500 metres a day.
Where it lands will be difficult to predict until the satellite falls to about 95 kilometres above the Earth and enters the atmosphere. It will then begin to burn up, with flares visible from the ground, said Ted Molczan, a Canadian satellite tracker. From that point on, he said, it will take about 30 minutes to fall.
In the last 50 years of monitoring space, 17,000 manmade objects have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.
-
Lolita C. Baldor, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. air force Gen. Gene Renuart, who heads the Northern Command, said Tuesday the size of the satellite suggests some number of pieces will not burn up as the orbiting vehicle re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and will hit the ground. "We're aware that this satellite is out there," Renuart said.
"We're aware it is a fairly substantial size. And we know there is at least some percentage that it could land on ground as opposed to in the water."
A U.S. official confirmed the spy satellite, which lost power and no longer can be controlled, was launched in December 2006 and could weigh as much as 4.5 tonnes. It carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor but the satellite's central computer failed shortly after launch.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret, said the satellite is designated by the military as US 193 but it never reached its final orbit and the Pentagon declared it a total loss in early 2007.
Renuart added: "As it looks like it might re-enter into the North American area," then the U.S. military along with the Homeland Security Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will either have to deal with the impact or assist Canadian or Mexican authorities.
Military agencies, he said, are doing an analysis to determine which pieces most likely would survive re-entry. But he cautioned officials won't have much detail on where or when it will crash until it begins to move through the atmosphere and break up.
Renuart added there does not as yet appear to be much concern about sensitive technologies on the satellite falling into enemy hands.
"I'm not aware that we have a security issue," he said.
"It's really just a big thing falling on the ground that we want to make sure we're prepared for."
The satellite includes some small engines that contain a toxic chemical called hydrazine - which is rocket fuel. But Renuart said they are not large booster engines with substantial amounts of fuel.
Initial estimates were that the satellite would take years to degrade and re-enter the atmosphere.
Video images of the satellite captured by John Locker, a British amateur satellite watcher, show it to be about four to five metres across. Locker calculated its size with data on its altitude and location provided by other amateur satellite watchers, using the International Space Station as a yardstick.
Satellite watchers - a worldwide network of hobbyists who track satellites for fun - have been plotting the satellite's degradation for a year. They estimate it is now at an altitude of about 278 kilometres, and Locker believes it is dropping about 500 metres a day.
Where it lands will be difficult to predict until the satellite falls to about 95 kilometres above the Earth and enters the atmosphere. It will then begin to burn up, with flares visible from the ground, said Ted Molczan, a Canadian satellite tracker. From that point on, he said, it will take about 30 minutes to fall.
In the last 50 years of monitoring space, 17,000 manmade objects have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.
-
Chipstone306
New member
U.S. to shoot down errant satellite
I know there are some of us who do not trust the AP but .....this may be getting interesting very shortly if the article is true and the US wants to shoot down the sattelite
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/02/14/spy.satellite.ap/index.html
I know there are some of us who do not trust the AP but .....this may be getting interesting very shortly if the article is true and the US wants to shoot down the sattelite
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/02/14/spy.satellite.ap/index.html
Mafuskas
Donator
I just saw it on BBC too: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7245578.stm
Yeah, let's kick that sat's a**!
Yeah, let's kick that sat's a**!
Chipstone306
New member
I just saw it on BBC too: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7245578.stm
Yeah, let's kick that sat's a**!
Forget a rocket if its reentry was anywhere near me I was just going to take shots at it with a 22:rofl:
silent_protagonist
Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2008
- Messages
- 263
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 16
I like all this talk about shooting down satellites.:lol:
Hopefully though it would puncture the hydrazine tank and vent the stuff into space.
Btw, it's interesting that we apparently have surface launched asat missiles. I thought we still had to use an F-15 as a first stage.
Hopefully though it would puncture the hydrazine tank and vent the stuff into space.
Btw, it's interesting that we apparently have surface launched asat missiles. I thought we still had to use an F-15 as a first stage.
Zatnikitelman
Addon Developer
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2008
- Messages
- 2,303
- Reaction score
- 6
- Points
- 38
- Location
- Atlanta, GA, USA, North America
It's scheduled to be launched by the Ticonderoga-Class U.S.S. Lake Erie.
n0mad23
Addon Developer
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2008
- Messages
- 1,078
- Reaction score
- 17
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Montesano
- Website
- soundcloud.com
Well,
By current DOD standards, they can't miss. All they have to do is get the trajectories to overlap at some point in time and it's a success.
Forgive my cynicism, but the Patriot's performance gives me absolutely no confidence at all.
By current DOD standards, they can't miss. All they have to do is get the trajectories to overlap at some point in time and it's a success.
Forgive my cynicism, but the Patriot's performance gives me absolutely no confidence at all.
Similar threads
