US to shoot down disabled spy satellite

Schumacher

Senior Member
...There was also a real need for the launch, either due to the toxic substances on-board or the security risk.

'Real need' as in the words of US officials or some independent sources of info ? In case you don't know, the whole point of the debate is many don't just take the explanation of officials without access to various data. Not to mention some independent experts have said there's little difference in danger level compared to previous sat crashes.

...You didn't know the orbit of the Earth is filled with natural garbage in the first place....

Don't know abt natural debris, but have read that most of the man-made debris up there is due to US & USSR which is another source of the claim of hypocrisy.

Anyway, below is China's response. Seems like Adm Keating has admitted some similarities with the Chinese test.

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China calls on US to provide data on satellite shootdown

3 hours ago

BEIJING (AFP) — China called on the United States Thursday to provide information about its shooting down of a defunct US spy satellite and voiced caution about the potential international consequences.

"China is continuing to closely follow the possible harm caused by the US action to outer space security and relevant countries," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said when asked for a reaction to the shootdown.

"China further requests that the US fulfil its international obligations in earnest and promptly provide to the international community the necessary information and relevant data... so that relevant countries can take precautions."

A US Navy cruiser hit a defunct US spy satellite with a single missile late Wednesday in a successful interception 133 nautical miles in space over the Pacific, the US Defense Department said.

US officials insisted the satellite was shot down to stop it from tumbling to Earth and potentially posing a risk to humans.

But the operation had raised concerns elsewhere that the United States was trying to test an anti-satellite weapon, amid rising global tensions about the militarisation of space.

Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday that the US plans looked like a veiled weapons test and an "attempt to move the arms race into space."

However, the Chinese reaction on Thursday to the incident appeared less confrontational than earlier in the week.

On Monday, Liu said the government was "highly concerned over the developments" and had asked the United States to "ensure that the security of outer space and relevant countries will not be undermined."

China came under similar pressure last year when it used a ballistic missile to destroy one of its ageing weather satellites, becoming only the third nation after the United States and the former Soviet Union to do so.

The ability to shoot down satellites is seen by many analysts as crucial in future conflicts due to the dependence of modern military equipment on satellite-based communications.

Admiral Timothy Keating, head of the US Pacific command, on Thursday acknowledged similarities with the Chinese shootdown but said the US one was significantly different because the United States gave public notice first.

"They just shot, they didn't tell anybody about it," he said of the Chinese.

Adding to the tensions, Russia and China last week unveiled plans for a new treaty banning the deployment of any weapons in space -- a move the United States rejected as "impossible".
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
US Navy successfully downs errant satellite

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ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON - A missile launched from a Navy ship successfully struck a dying U.S. spy satellite passing 130 miles over the Pacific on Wednesday, a defense official said. Full details were not immediately available. It happened just after 10:30 p.m. EST.

Two officials said the missile was launched successfully. One official, who is close to the process, said it hit the target. He said details on the results were not immediately known.

The goal in this first-of-its-kind mission for the Navy was not just to hit the satellite but to obliterate a tank aboard the spacecraft carrying 1,000 pounds of a toxic fuel called hydrazine.

U.S. officials have said the fuel would pose a potential health hazard to humans if it landed in a populated area. Although the odds of that were small even if the Pentagon had chosen not to try to shoot down the satellite, it was determined that it was worth trying to eliminate even that small chance.


missleshot.jpg


Satexplosion.jpg

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They got it. Good news for future errant sat issues that might pose harm...and good news for the US Navy ASAT and ABM technology.
 
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bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
No need for two threads on the same subject.

Threads merged.

Some excellent PIX of the firing of the SM-3 missile from the USS Lake Erie CG-70. I saw a video this morning on FOX news of the event. Later if I find it I shall post it.

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PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb 20, 2008) At a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) launches from the U.S. Navy AEGIS cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), successfully impacting a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean, as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. President George W. Bush decided to bring down the satellite because of the likelihood that the satellite could release hydrazine fuel upon impact, possibly in populated areas. U.S. Navy photo (Released)
 
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D

Deleted member 675

Guest
Unsettling to countries that have satellites that may be used in an attack.

Nonsense. It's unsettling to any country that uses space for commercial or military means because the debris will be there for a long time and may effect the operation of their satellites.

Sounds like self-defense.

It's self-defence to leave hundreds of pieces of debris that may smash up other nations' communication and weather satellites? What, does China feel threatened by other countries using space?

Where does it say China was a part of that agreement between Russia and the US. Did they consult China? No, so they can't claim something was broken.

Given China was constantly whining about the use of weapons in space, to then shoot down a satellite was complete hypocricy.

Western experts, not the neo-con alarmists and anti-China haters, say the debris is negligible.

Oh yeah, just label anyone who criticises something China does as a "China-hater". That's what you frequently do when you start to lose the argument.

You didn't know the orbit of the Earth is filled with natural garbage in the first place.

Define "filled" - it's hardly a scientific term.

So China can't develop this for such an emergency of its own?

ROFL, so you're trying to tell me China designed its weapons to shoot down its own satellites? Don't go there - it's ludicrous. No one is suggesting the US designed this technology for that use.

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'Real need' as in the words of US officials or some independent sources of info?

If you have some evidence that there was nothing of worth on that satellite, fine. Otherwise I'm happy to believe it - it has been widely reported as being the malfunctioning one put up a few years ago.

Don't know abt natural debris, but have read that most of the man-made debris up there is due to US & USSR which is another source of the claim of hypocrisy.

Actually I have read reports that say the last of the debris resulting from US ASAT tests fell to the atmosphere some years ago.
 

AssassinsMace

Lieutenant General
Nonsense. It's unsettling to any country that uses space for commercial or military means because the debris will be there for a long time and may effect the operation of their satellites.

It's self-defence to leave hundreds of pieces of debris that may smash up other nations' communication and weather satellites? What, does China feel threatened by other countries using space?

Did this happen? Keep showing that ignorance that you think every satellite in orbit is going to be hit by debris. Again it's been a year. The debris has been dispersed and insignificant and no incidents. Keep dreaming for it to happen. We know you want it to.



Given China was constantly whining about the use of weapons in space, to then shoot down a satellite was complete hypocricy.

You mean the same whining from you guys? Whining is when more powerful countries complain about what less powerful countries do that they've already done.

Oh yeah, just label anyone who criticises something China does as a "China-hater". That's what you frequently do when you start to lose the argument.

Spreading misinformation is about hate. Losing an argument is taking this long to respond. Have to think how you're going to spin it? You were on this board while and long after I posted this.

Define "filled" - it's hardly a scientific term.

And you of course didn't know that the Earth passes through events like the Leonid Meteor Shower every year which are clouds of debris larger than Jupiter in orbit around the sun and nothing ever seems to happen to satellites. That debris and from other events penetrate the atmosphere or get caught in Earth's orbit and nothing seems to happen much. Now you say China is more powerful than nature itself that a tiny little weather satellite is about to destroy all satellites in orbit. Desperation is the inability to label China down in contradictory thoughts... inept or all mighty powerful.

ROFL, so you're trying to tell me China designed its weapons to shoot down its own satellites? Don't go there - it's ludicrous. No one is suggesting the US designed this technology for that use.


ROFL. The US slowed its own satellite to decay the orbit creating the hazard it said it was saving the Earth from. Notice you didn't respond to that one before. Enough said! :roll:
 
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SampanViking

The Capitalist
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP Professional
Registered Member
Ok you two lets not go any further with that thank you.

Discussions are supposed to be gentlemanly and riposts polite, this is falling far short.

Fu, you introduced the problem so I think you have earned yourself a second warning and a short holiday.

Those who think to ignore this warning and respond further to the impolite posts will win a warning as well, so dont do it!!
 

Finn McCool

Captain
Registered Member
I have to interject here and say that we all should abandon the foolish pretense that this test or any test of anti-satillite/ABM weaponry by any country is actually about saving the Earth from falling satillites or any "space-maitnence" purposes. It's all about posturing and competition. I'm not saying that this satillite wasn't actually broken, I'm merely saying that it strains credulity to believe that this incident was merely about the Pentagon's desire to protect the people of Earth from falling space debris.

So can we expect a Russian satillite's orbit to degrade anytime soon?;)I doubt it; as far as I know Russia has no active ABM program.
 

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
Regardless of the true motivation, the USN deserves a congratulation for a job well done.
 

Pointblank

Senior Member
Regardless of the true motivation, the USN deserves a congratulation for a job well done.

And in 1 stroke, the USN surface fleet has reestablished its relevance that they had lost back when Billy Mitchell conducted his famous demonstrations off the Virginia Capes against surface ships with airplanes. Now every USN Aegis equipped warship with the SM-3 missile is a strategic asset essential for the defence of the United States.
 
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