US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

I'm sure that this rogue satellite has been posted before, but I couldn't find it.
If so - sorry

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7245578.stm

This reminded me of the Peru meteor of last year -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7001897.stm

I wonder therefore, if the Peru one was actually a satellite, which they weren't too bothered about. If so, why is this one so important?

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Or it's nuclear powered and they don't want reactor fragmets, coolant and fuel raining down from the upper atmosphere. The old Russian Cosmos RORSats used to eject their reactor cores before (controlled) de-orbit but this wouldn't be an option if the satellite was dead.

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

I hope they don't mistake the rogue one for a good one, we all know what the Americans are like when it comes to identifying friendly and the not so friendly. Sorry but I had to get that one in.

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

From the article
"the likelihood that the satellite upon descent to the Earth's surface could release much of its 1,000lb plus (454 kg) of its hydrazine fuel as a toxic gas..
....If the hydrazine tank did burst, the danger zone would be an area covering the size of two football pitches. He said that blowing the satellite up would disperse the hydrazine harmlessly in space, leaving only small-scale satellite debris to fall harmlessly to Earth."

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Cue further consipiracy theories anyway: secret NSA satellite dies, several people accused of spying for China are arrested.

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Im no genius but I would have though rocket fuel would burn up during re-entry

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Well if the tanks remain intact there must be a chance that some of the fuel will rain down from the upper atmosphere. I'm not convinced that this is their primary motivation for wanting to shoot the thing down though. Since when did the US security apparatus start becoming concerned about the welfare of other human beings?

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

just make sure you don't watch it breaking up, could make you go blind ;) especially if its bright green.

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Evntually there'll be so much space debris in orbit that it'll be the end of space travel.... as launched craft could not penetrate the "shield".

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

BS on the hydrazine, if you're worried about it being that dangerous then don't throw it up there. It's either to show how l33t their anti-satellite capability is to the Chinese or Russians or more probably to make damn sure no bits of satellite end up in those countries.

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Well if you want to watch it before it breaks up, next opportunity will be around the middle to end of next week. Not sure if it's bright green or not (yet ;)). The Lacrosse radar recon sats which must be around the same size as this thing are reddish.

This guy's satobs imaging work is astounding. I wonder if he'll get any footage of USA193 before "The Man" gets him ;)

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/.../lacrosse.html

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Looks like Virgin might get the better of SKY after all :)

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Placing bets that they shoot down the International Space Station :)

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Nah sod it just outsource the destruction of the satelllite to the Chinese.

Re: US plans to shoot down Satellite
 

Has anyone told Sir Richard, so that he can get on it, and direct it to earth, then we could have VM by satellitte.- he can then do battle with Sky boom,boom.