USA 193 Shootdown Set For Feb 21, 03:30 UTC

An anonymous reader writes "Amateur satellite watcher Ted Molczan notes that a "Notice to Airmen" (NOTAM) has been issued announcing restricted airspace for February 21, between 02:30 and 05:00 UTC, in a region near Hawaii. Stricken satellite USA 193, which the US has announced plans to shoot down, will pass over this area at about 03:30. Interestingly, this is during the totality of Wednesday's lunar eclipse, which may or may not make debris easier to observe."

Comments

Who are they spying ON?

[tekrat]

I've looked at the orbit of this satellite. Have you noticed that it goes over North America and Africa, otherwise, it spends most of it's time over the oceans?

Okay, there's very little to spy on over the middle of Africa. So, I'm very much coming to the conclusion that the REAL reason they want to shoot it down is because it's very embarassing for someone else to get the data from this bird that shows that what the government is spying on is US -- the USA.

Bush can chant the Patriot act all he wants, but when the Washington Post prints data from the satellite that shows the NSA is intercepting every American's mundane existence, and performing massive invasions of privacy, the Repblican party's chances of re-election will be sunk.

That's what this is really about. Covering your ass in an election year.

TTYL