US To Shoot Down Dying Satellite

A user writes "US officials say that the Pentagon is planning to shoot down a broken spy satellite expected to hit the Earth in early March. We discussed the device's decaying orbit late last month. The Associated Press has learned that the option preferred by the Bush administration will be to fire a missile from a U.S. Navy cruiser, and shoot down the satellite before it enters Earth's atmosphere. 'A key concern ... 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.'"

Comments

Cost Effectiveness.

[gandhi_2]

Since the Chinese have proven they can do this, it's reasonable to assume they can do it cheaper. Maybe they pentagon could outsource this satellite shoot-down.

You know, if the pentagon REALLY wanted to come across as bad ass, they wouldn't have told anyone it was a bad satellite. Then we could show the world we'll shoot down our own satellites just cause we can. Like a diplomatic "Don't you know i'm locco, esse?"

Shooting it down?

[sm62704]

It's already coming down, isn't it? Wouldn';t they be shooting it UP?

That makes a better headline anyway, "US To Shoot Up".

Re:Oh bullshit.

[Jafafa Hots]

Well, that's all well and good, but YOU read the fucking ARTICLE.

Re:Incompetent

[ddusza]

Yes sir, can you try typing Ctrl-Alt-Delete? Oh, that didn't work? Hmmmm, can you try turning the power off and back on again? No? Well, I'm afraid we are just going to (trouble)shoot it remotely from one of our Tech Support Cruisers.... The NEW world of Tech Support

I often wondered

[kellyb9]

I've often wondered what aliens might think if they were to visit earth and see us shooting missles at our own satellites as means of getting them down. On one side of the coin, we might look really badass.

Re:Target practice or....?

[imipak]

I say we launch it into orbit, and nuke it from the surface. It's the only way to be sure.

Re:Target practice or....?

[Jeremi]

That's nice that you know the volume of a circle

Just to be a smartass, I have to point out that the volume of a circle is zero, not pi*r^2.