Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Missile Defense Watch: Failed Satellite To Be Downed on Wednesday, February 20



Successful intercept of ballistic missile target by Aegis SM-3 missile

The United States Navy will make its first attempt to shoot down a failed satellite on Wednesday evening around 6:30 PM PST.

The U.S. government issued a formal notice warning ships and planes to stay clear of a large area of the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii.

The notice says the two- and-a-half hour window begins 2:30 a.m. Thursday Greenwich Mean Time, which is 9:30 p.m. Wednesday on the East Coast, and 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in Hawaii.

The timing is also after the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to be safely on the ground.

Pentagon officials caution that the notice reflects the first opportunity to take a shot at the satellite, but it’s possible the attempt could be delayed until later.

A near miss or a direct “kill” of the satellite would mean that dangerous and toxic hydrazine fuel would burn up in the earth’s atmosphere and not be a threat to any inhabited areas below. The satellite is in a decaying orbit and if otherwise not touched would descend to earth sometime in early March.


Stay tuned……

Previous:

Russia Says United States Has Ulterior Motive in Shooting Down Satellite

Missile Defense Watch: Failed Satellite - A Message to China

United States Speeding Up Missile Defense Plans - Russia

Missile Defense Watch: Putin Continues to Say NYET to Eastern Europe Missile Defense

Missile Defense Watch: US Proposes Joint Missile Defense with Russia

Missile Defense Watch: Operational

Missile Defense Watch: Vandenberg AFB Ground-Based Interceptor Missile Test is Successful

Missile Defense Watch: Gates - Missile Defense in Eastern Europe Continues

The Missile Defense Archive

ramirezjune222006web


No comments:

Post a Comment