Defunct Spy Satellite Falling From Orbit

[Kor37 9]

Defunct Spy Satellite Falling From Orbit

By EILEEN SULLIVAN,AP

Posted: 2008-01-27 00:03:25

Filed Under: Nation News, Science News

WASHINGTON (Jan. 26) - A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and could hit the Earth in late February or early March, government officials said Saturday.

 

The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret. It was not clear how long ago the satellite lost power, or under what circumstances.

 

"Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, when asked about the situation after it was disclosed by other officials. "Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause."

 

He would not comment on whether it is possible for the satellite to perhaps be shot down by a missile. He said it would be inappropriate to discuss any specifics at this time.

 

A senior government official said that lawmakers and other nations are being kept apprised of the situation.

 

The spacecraft contains hydrazine — which is rocket fuel — according to a government official who was not authorized to speak publicly but spoke on condition of anonymity. Hydrazine, a colorless liquid with an ammonia-like odor, is a toxic chemical and can cause harm to anyone who contacts it.

 

Such an uncontrolled re-entry could risk exposure of U.S. secrets, said John Pike, a defense and intelligence expert. Spy satellites typically are disposed of through a controlled re-entry into the ocean so that no one else can access the spacecraft, he said.

 

Pike also said it's not likely the threat from the satellite could be eliminated by shooting it down with a missile, because that would create debris that would then re-enter the atmosphere and burn up or hit the ground.

 

Pike, director of the defense research group GlobalSecurity.org, estimated that the spacecraft weighs about 20,000 pounds and is the size of a small bus. He said the satellite would create 10 times less debris than the Columbia space shuttle crash in 2003. Satellites have natural decay periods, and it's possible this one died as long as a year ago and is just now getting ready to re-enter the atmosphere, he said.

 

Jeffrey Richelson, a senior fellow with the National Security Archive, said the spacecraft likely is a photo reconnaissance satellite. Such eyes in the sky are used to gather visual information from space about adversarial governments and terror groups, including construction at suspected nuclear sites or militant training camps. The satellites also can be used to survey damage from hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters.

 

The largest uncontrolled re-entry by a NASA spacecraft was Skylab, the 78-ton abandoned space station that fell from orbit in 1979. Its debris dropped harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and across a remote section of western Australia.

 

In 2000, NASA engineers successfully directed a safe de-orbit of the 17-ton Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, using rockets aboard the satellite to bring it down in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.

 

In 2002, officials believe debris from a 7,000-pound science satellite smacked into the Earth's atmosphere and rained down over the Persian Gulf, a few thousand miles from where they first predicted it would plummet.

 

Kepp your eyes on the sky..........and duck!.....

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I don't know what you got from the article but I got "attention all foreign governments - our satellite is falling - state secrets may be falling into your backyard" what if it lands in an unfriendly nation? My second thought is the lawsuit potential.

[trekz 7]

All good points. But ....

 

What if this satellite has been up since the late 60's and has pictures of the Enterpise in our atmosphere from that episode "Tomorrow is Yesterday?"

Edited January 27, 2008 by trekz

[Stephen of Borg 2]

I read this article on yahoo.com this morning, it gives me the feeling that I need to wear a helmet 24/7

[MrPsychic 1]

I don't know what you got from the article but I got "attention all foreign governments - our satellite is falling - state secrets may be falling into your backyard" what if it lands in an unfriendly nation? My second thought is the lawsuit potential.

Jeez, take a chill pill. Not everything needs to be "analyzed". I HIGHLY doubt there is any information on the satellite, it probably just takes it, transmits it, then deletes it. As for it falling and hitting someone, it's more likely to hit the ocean, the Earth is 70% water.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Jeez, take a chill pill. Not everything needs to be "analyzed". I HIGHLY doubt there is any information on the satellite, it probably just takes it, transmits it, then deletes it. As for it falling and hitting someone, it's more likely to hit the ocean, the Earth is 70% water.

 

Perhaps you should read the article - such as the following line from paragraph seven

 

Such an uncontrolled re-entry could risk exposure of U.S. secrets, said John Pike, a defense and intelligence expert

if you know more than a defense and intelligence expert then perhaps you've been keeping some secrets of your own. Edited January 28, 2008 by TheUnicornHunter

[Stephen of Borg 2]

they brought it up again this morning on TODAY on NBC, and one of their fears is what TUH said-the fear of it falling on Russia or China and giving away secrets

[Kor37 9]

Are we sure that its not the spy satellite sent up by Major League Baseball?.................

[trekz 7]

Are we sure that its not the spy satellite sent up by Major League Baseball?.................

Or maybe it was sent up by the coach of the New England Patriots?

 

Seriously, I was surprised to hear that it is a newer satellite that has never worked right. ... That's kind of scary!

[ussvwbeetle 0]

Just send in the Marines. I'll make sure to stand outside my house with a sign 'Land here!' Maybe, by a stroke of luck it will land there.

[Kor37 9]

Just send in the Marines. I'll make sure to stand outside my house with a sign 'Land here!' Maybe, by a stroke of luck it will land there.

Well.....you can do that...but.....you won't be able to tell anyone about it since you will be squished flatter than a pancake!.......

[ussvwbeetle 0]

I'll make sure to leave a nice goodbye letter. Also, if I am going to be looking like a pancake, i'll make sure to hve some syrup in my pocket.

[TJ Phaserman 2]

UPDATE

 

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is planning to shoot down a broken spy satellite expected to hit the Earth in early March, The Associated Press has learned.

 

U.S. officials said Thursday that the option preferred by the Bush administration will be to fire missiles from a U.S. Navy cruiser, and shoot down the satellite before it enters Earth's atmosphere.

 

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the options have not yet been discussed publicly. Deputy national security advisor James Jeffries, Gen. James Cartwright, Joint Chiefs of Staff vice chairman, and NASA administrator Michael Griffin will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. EST to discuss the satellite.

 

The disabled satellite is expected to hit the Earth the first week of March. Officials said the Navy would likely shoot it down before then, using a special missile modified for the task.

 

The Navy will fire two or three SM-3 missiles from a cruiser and destroyer off the Northwest coast of Hawaii. The SM-3's which are more of a medium-range interceptor have to be modified — more fuel and new software — to reach the disabled spy satellite in orbit. If the intercept and kill are successful and the satellite is destroyed, it appears most of the debris will become orbitting "space junk" and not reenter Earth's atmopshere.

 

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 United States and other countries.

 

A key concern at that time was the debris created by the 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.

 

Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, who heads U.S. Northern Command, told The Associated Press in late January that the size of the satellite suggests that 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 that the spy satellite, which lost power and no longer can be controlled, was launched in December 2006. 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 that, "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 that 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 that 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 13 feet to 16.5 feet 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 estimated it at an altitude of about 173 miles in late January, and Locker believes it is dropping about 1,640 feet a day.

 

Where it lands will be difficult to predict until the satellite falls to about 59 miles 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 past 50 years of monitoring space, 17,000 manmade objects have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.

[robjkay 0]

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.

 

 

NBC News contributed to this report by The Associated Press.

[Kor37 9]

This is also a good way to show other countries what might happen to their satellites if they screw with us...

[ussvwbeetle 0]

This is interesting, I can't wait to see what is going to happen.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

It's also a good way to keep the wrong people from finding it.

[trekz 7]

"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 United States and other countries.

 

A key concern at that time was the debris created by the 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." END QUOTES

 

Some questions arise from this info. Was it really a defunct weather satellite the Chinese shot down, or did it have spying capabilities? How much debris resulted from the Chinese satellite being shot down? What kind of mess would the U.S. be in if the missile or the resulting debris resulted in damage to other countries satellites? What kind of liability would ensue if someone died from debris caused by a US satellite?

 

Could trying to shoot the satellite down cause more trouble than not trying? Or is keeping our secrets secret worth any colateral damage, in the opinion of our government?

Edited February 16, 2008 by trekz

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Could trying to shoot the satellite down cause more trouble than not trying? Or is keeping our secrets secret worth any colateral damage, in the opinion of our government?

 

I'm trying to imagine what sort of informatin & what secrets could be that important? Maybe it's a matter of not wanting the world to know who they've been spying on.