February 11, 2009 3:26 PM
- Text
U.S. To Shoot Down Spy Satellite
(CBS/AP)
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.
A second goal, he said, is to directly hit the fuel tank in order to minimize the amount of fuel that returns to Earth.
CBS News correspondent David Martin reports that a fuel tank carrying the same fuel as that onboard the satellite survived reentry during the Columbia space shuttle disaster, but in that case, the fuel had already been burned up during the mission. This time the tank is loaded with 1,000 pounds of the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine - used to power the satellite's thrusters - which could contaminate an area the size of two football fields.
Describing the effects of hydrazine, Cartwright told CBS News, "it's similar to chlorine or to ammonia in that when you inhale it, it affects your tissues and your lungs. You know, it has the burning sensation. If you stay very close to it and inhale a lot of it, it could in fact be deadly."
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.
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.
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.
CBS News correspondent David Martin reports that a fuel tank carrying the same fuel as that onboard the satellite survived reentry during the Columbia space shuttle disaster, but in that case, the fuel had already been burned up during the mission. This time the tank is loaded with 1,000 pounds of the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine - used to power the satellite's thrusters - which could contaminate an area the size of two football fields.
Describing the effects of hydrazine, Cartwright told CBS News, "it's similar to chlorine or to ammonia in that when you inhale it, it affects your tissues and your lungs. You know, it has the burning sensation. If you stay very close to it and inhale a lot of it, it could in fact be deadly."
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.
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.
Popular Now in SciTech
- Retro Duo will play your old Nintendo games
- Apple iPad 3 rumors: thicker, sharper, coming soon
- Obama's 2012 campaign playlist now on Spotify
- Anonymous breaks into Assad's server
- FBI releases Steve Jobs background report
- Hackers release Symantec pcAnywhere source code
- Ethical iPhone 5 petitions head to Apple stores
- Apple faces $1.6 billion iPad trademark lawsuit
- Apple iPhone 5 rumors, reports say June release
- Apple iPad 3 rumors resurface, sources say March release
- Scientists say online dating doesn't work
- Facebook graffiti artist David Choe, from homeless to millions
- Pinterest secretly swaps links for profit
- Facebook RIP pages defaced by British man
- Shocking Stats on Texting While Driving
- Apple supplier Foxconn hit by hackers
- Facebook required for Spotify account, here's a trick
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook
on CBS News
- Fla. House approves $69.2 billion budget
- NYPD boss' son returns to TV after rape claim
- Consumer sentiment highlights risks to recovery
- TV anchor recovering from dog bite during segment
on Facebook
- Tenn. father charged with murdering couple who"unfriended" daughter on Facebook
- Adele opens up about vocal cord surgery
on CBS News
