US Navy To Shoot Down Spy Satellite

This week, the Navy is scheduled to shoot down a dying spy satellite. The geniuses at Analytical Graphics, Inc. have put together a simulation of how it's likely to happen -- and where the debris goes afterward.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• science
• technology
• wired
• Navy
• spy
• satellite

[Emailfego]

They hit it last night. The must not have had the vice president aiming .

[daddysquirrel]

I'm not a nerd, but I doubt that there was sound at the dawn of time. My son always comments that the explosions in the star wars movies wouldn't have sound in the real world, as there is no atmosphere to carry the sound waves. So, space is a good place to fart, I suppose.

[hawkmoth11]

Target Practise

[bestamerica]

'

that is a cooool american missile can go hit and destroy ussr russia spysatellite

[aquasteam]

americans r dumfuks check ur facts thx

[lvll138inrs]

haha white people managed to do this. guess that means whites are superior?

[Frapazoid]

A sat needs a heat shield and aerodynamic qualities to come down intact or to hit the right spot.

There IS a system where you throw a bomb into space and it falls on the target. It's called a ballistic missile. The US has plenty, as do many other countries. These originate from WW2.

Almost all sats have toxic chems. Hydrazine is a common and appropriate fuel for sats and spaceships. It is also very toxic and dangerous to handle on the ground. So it is less popular for launch vehicles.

[Frapazoid]

It's a fantastically long shot so I won't argue about their intentions. But FWIW: Our Skylab space station came down in pretty large pieces in Australia.

The local government charged NASA a fine for littering.

Also, when the Columbia disentegrated, it's hydrazine tanks came down intact.

[RBs2THEGRAIN]

This is the stuff we create, and the stuff we waste our lives worrying about.

[Wabawi199]

I think Many USA satalite are equiped with TOXIC chemicals and radiations. so it can also be used as a weapon target by throwing the satalite at a country.

[Darusdei]

anyone heard how the chinese jumped up when they heard this?

now even they are pointing at the sky

so if hostilities break they will also shoot satellites...