U.S.: Satellite Shootdown Not Offensive

State Department Tries To Reassure World That Planned Operation Is Solely To Protect People

(CBS/AP)  The Bush administration is trying to convince foreign countries that the Pentagon's plan to shoot down a dying spy satellite is not a test of a program to kill their orbiting communications and intelligence capabilities.

The State Department has instructed U.S. diplomats around the world to inform their host governments that the operation, which could be conducted as early as next week, is aimed solely at protecting people that could be affected by about 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel on the bus-sized satellite now hurtling toward earth.

"Our role is to reassure nations around the world as to the nature of what we are tying to do," spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday. "It's an attempt to try to protect populations on the ground."

In a cable sent to all U.S. embassies abroad, diplomats were told to draw a clear distinction between the upcoming attempt and last year's test by China of a missile specifically designed to take out satellites, which was criticized by the United States and other countries.

"This particular action is different than any actions that, for example, the Chinese may have taken in testing an anti-satellite weapon," McCormack told reporters. "The missions are quite different and the technical aspects of the missions are quite different."

Other than intent, he said the key difference is that the Pentagon's planned shoot-down will be done at a much lower altitude than that of the Chinese, whose 2007 destruction of a satellite left a large debris field in orbit. The U.S. plan, it is hoped, will leave little in the way of debris that could complicate efforts to place future satellites in orbit.

U.S. officials said the satellite is carrying fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground. That reason alone, they said, persuaded President Bush to order the shoot-down.

CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported 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.

The Pentagon has predicted a fairly high chance - as much as 80 percent - of hitting the satellite, which will be about 150 miles up before it enters Earth's atmosphere when a single missile will be fired from a Navy cruiser in the northern Pacific Ocean. If it misses, there may be a second shot, officials say.

Left alone, the satellite would be expected to hit Earth during the first week of March. About half of the 5,000-pound spacecraft would be expected to survive its blazing descent through the atmosphere and would scatter debris over several hundred miles.

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.

[emelder]

Come on CBS. Your "U.S. Arsenal" interactive section related to this article, depicts a U.S. warplane bombing a mosque!!!! Unbelievable. Now how''s that going to help the cause of world peace?

[tbweb]

China developed an anti-satellite missile specifically designed to take out satellites and actually used it without warning to shoot down one of its own! Yet China now claims its concerned about the U.S. shooting down one of its own satellites. Why? At least the U.S. is advertising its intentions in advance and offering details of the event, unlike the surprise and secrecy surrounding China''s. To make matters worst, big mouth Russia, who had nothing at all to say about China''s satellite shoot down is now all in the news media complaining about the U.S. effort. The Russians looks like a bunch of hypocrites once again, quiet when China does it, big mouth complainers when the U.S. does the same!

[toolmangler-2009]

Once all the calculations are run, and all of the what ifs are said, one thing is still going to happen, without some form of intervention that "Flying Bus" is going to come down, the only question left, "who is going to catch it"?

[inventagod]

The hell with the Navy Missile...

Dlck Cheney with a shotgun!
Dlck Cheney with a shotgun!
Dlck Cheney with a shotgun!
Dlck Cheney with a shotgun!
Dlck Cheney with a shotgun!

[kellyafische]

Revelations 8:10,11

[kellyafische]

If the missle fails to hit the intended target where does the missle go and what is its lifespan and what are the possible scenerios concerning its future?

[kellyafische]

is 1,000 lbs of toxic material going to float down from the sky or slam down like half a bus of solid frozen mass that won''t break apart on impact?

[kellyafische]

or were you just lead to believe that this was going to amount to just a bag of golf balls being dropped and have two football fields of toxic material to worry about?

[kellyafische]

but then again what do I know, I am just a grandma who happens to homeschool her kid.

[kellyafische]

Calculations - 2500 lbs of mass with toxic material traveling 22,000 mph when it hits earths atmosphere at almost horizontal and hot...no determination where it will hit...POSSIBLE TARGETS : Nuclear Reactor, Nuclear weapons cache, gasoline tanker in the middle of N.Y., skyscraper in N.Y. with hundreds of floors of people inside, Nuclear submarine outfitted with nuclear warheads surfaced for maintainance, Ship with hazardous explosive cargo in port, Manhattan, Alaska oil pipeline, Oil refinery, Commercial passenger jet on route full capacity over major metropolis...OK now it is your turn. CALCULATIONS : the speed of a bullet and the number of thick items it can penetrate before being stopped. the speed of a cannonball and the number of thick items it can penetrate before it is stopped. MULTIPLY THAT with 22,000 miles per hour....keep going in this direction and you will have the number of scenerios that can come out of this if the military fails to hit its projected target. IF THE projectile comes from space and hits a nuclear cache, you have not one nuclear explosion on USA soil...but how many at one time in a single location. IMPACT ON THE EARTH? ENVIRONMENT? NOW START ASKING INTELLIGENT QUESTIONS WITHOUT THE GUIDANCE OF A COLLEGE PROFESSOR OR MINIMIZING FROM THE MILITARY AND I THINK WE HAVE THE START OF SOME SERIOUS POTENTIAL.

[cyberdjs4]

Don''t be fooled by the Pentagon''s lies. This is a show of strength and know-how.

This is not the first time a satellite has fallen from the sky jeopardizing the populous.
Yet, here is the Pentagon offering to shoot THIS one down.

At a time when we are at odds with Iran, Russia and N. Korea, this seems too opportunistic to be "for saftey''s sake".

[inventagod]

''It carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor''

Which the Pentagoons would rather destroy...

[inventagod]

''everything that comes out of your mouth and your fellow anti-american liberals are offensive''
...Posted by libsrweak''

Last time I checked, America was still a free country... Unless your Mullah-in-chief Bu$h Almighty has finally burned the Constitution and is packing everyone who voted against him into the Halliburton-built cages across the USA...

[Con Mohrat]

There will be debris all over in lower orbit.

[cdfoxtrot]

Yes, I''m sure the US government is incapable of deliberately pulling a satellite out of orbit, so it had an excuse to test a missile. Unlike those "Godless" Commies. We all believe that.

[ubrew12]

iphyt4u said: "Its estimated that it will cost $75 million to shoot down a satellite that never worked right. "
Compared to the cost of the satellite itself, that''s chump change. The satellite probably cost 30 times the amount you gave above.

Also, $75 mill is probably the cost of just ONE lawsuit stemming from a death from the hydrazine, which could kill hundreds.

[gce65]

"Hey kids! Let''s play Bush-Speak!
If he says the satellite not shoot-down is not offensive, then that really means...yep, you guessed it...it IS offensive! You catch on quick, kids!"

[harrydoghiny]

"U.S. officials said the satellite is carrying fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground. That reason alone, they said, persuaded President Bush to order the shoot-down"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Yeah,
right, we''re stupid!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[imnho]

The incination the shuttle flys precludes it from rescuing the satellite.

[ioweign]

"Our role is to reassure nations around the world as to the nature of what we are tying to do," spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday.

Golly - I wonder why they have to reassure other nations. Do ya think it might have to do with this Regime''s ability to tell the truth.

Preemptive with Iraq - yeah, sounds good, just the ticket...