The sky is falling...

['97ventureowner]

well not really Actually Bush plans to shoot down a broken satellite in space before it crashes to Earth as soon as early March, which could pose a hazard to humans since it's carrying hazardous cargo.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7245578.stm
Reminds me of when Skylab came crashing to Earth in July of 1979, over parts of the Indian Ocean and Australia. The funny part about that was Australia turned around and fined the US $400 for littering .

[freakray]

Funny how when China did something similar, the US didn't like it:

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_C..._Test_999.html

Don't give me some BS about China was testing and the US isn't. The fact the US already has weapons capable of doing this means the US already tested it at some point.

Why is the USA so worried another country may get a weapon system in place to rival the USA's?

[jon@af]

Russia doesn't seem too happy about the shot going up.

Honestly, at this point and with everything else going on in my life right now, I could give a rat's ass. I'll tell you right now what is going to happen:

1. Russia is going to bitch
2. U.S. responds with vague and padded response
3. Russia continues to bitch
4. U.S. shoots the satellite down
5. Russia bitches some more
6. Nothing happens.

*sigh*

[BNaylor]

Well, at least the U.S. announced the plan to shoot down the aging satellite. China did it covertly and it was discovered after the fact. Better to shoot it down than risk the lives a crew in a space shuttle craft trying to retrieve it.

Also, I can see why both Russia and China would be concerned. This firing is ship based with modified missiles not intended for outer space which clearly demonstrates U.S. technology advantage and superiority. IMO the U.S. is sending a message. All I have to say otherwise is honestly who really cares.

[xeroinfinity]

Yeah Bob I agree, but either way, I dont want a shower of plutonium(or whatever is on it) or any large debrie fallin on my house.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by xeroinfinity

Yeah Bob I agree, but either way, I dont want a shower of plutonium(or whatever is on it) or any large debrie fallin on my house.

I wouldn't worry about it JC. Hopefully most of the debris burns up entering earth's atmosphere. No worse than blue ice dropping out of the sky on you. ........


Anecdotal info below but interesting.

Click here

['97ventureowner]

I say let those countries bitch all they want. I bet if any part of that satellite or it's hazardous contents were to crash within their borders they'd wonder why we didn't do more to prevent it from happening.

[xeroinfinity]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

I wouldn't worry about it JC. Hopefully most of the debris burns up entering earth's atmosphere. No worse than blue ice dropping out of the sky on you. ........


Anecdotal info below but interesting.

Click here

From what I heard its going to be shot down over another country, so hopefull no hydrozine blows my way.

Blue Ice !
That's some scarry shit !

Originally Posted by '97ventureowne

I say let those countries bitch all they want. I bet if any part of that satellite or it's hazardous contents were to crash within their borders they'd wonder why we didn't do more to prevent it from happening

Sounds about right Tom, but better their country then ours.

So when is this suposed to happen?
Havnt heard that part...

['97ventureowner]

Latest I heard was they were supposed to fire the missiles sometime this week. The satellite is scheduled to fall to Earth sometime in early March. Do you remember all the hoopla that was given to Skylab back in the '70s. they had parties and people had funny hats to "protect them" God the '70s were great for stuff like that , I miss it. Things today just aren't on the same level. People take things too seriously nowadays.

[GForce957]

Originally Posted by freakray

Why is the USA so worried another country may get a weapon system in place to rival the USA's?

Because its another country with a weapon system as good as our own, not a nice thing if you enter a fight, which we tend to do sometimes.

[BNaylor]

Wow, this is amazing. The mission was a success so far.

MSNBC News Services
updated 3 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - A missile launched from a Navy ship successfully struck a dying U.S. spy satellite passing 130 miles over the Pacific on Wednesday, a defense official said.

The USS Lake Erie, armed with an SM-3 missile designed to knock down incoming missiles — not orbiting satellites — launched the attack at 10:26 p.m. ET (0326 GMT Thursday), according to the Pentagon. It hit the satellite as the spacecraft traveled at more than 17,000 mph (27,000 kilometers per hour).

Because the satellite was orbiting at a relatively low altitude at the time it was hit by the missile, debris will begin to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere immediately, the Pentagon statement said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23265613

[fredjacksonsan]

Pretty cool stuff....but now the technology exists to get all the GPS and communications satellites shot down (yes, I know there's a lot of them). Doing that would put all nations at closer to the same level of recon ability.