Modified Navy SM-3 Missile Hits Spy Satellite
by John Little on 21/02/2008The threat of classified tech burying itself in soft ground outside of Beijing appears to have been reduced:
Wednesday’s strike began at around 10:26 p.m. EST, when the USS Lake Erie, which had been tracking the falling satellite, launched a modified SM-3 missile at the bus-sized object as it entered the earth’s atmosphere. The missile struck the satellite about three minutes later as the spacecraft traveled in polar orbit at more than 17,000 mph.
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.
“Nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days,” it said.
Raytheon is happy. Putin and China – not so happy.
Related posts:
North Korean Missile Test Has Washington Worried
Remember North Korea? They may be preparing to test a missile that can reach the states: North Korea is preparing for a possible test of an intercontinental ballistic missile with...
North Korean Missile Test – All Options on the Table
A stong warning for Kim Jung Il: Asked if the United States would try to shoot down a North Korean missile, Schieffer said: “I think what we have said is...
North Korean Missile Aimed Towards Hawaii
And still we do essentially nothing: But data from U.S. and Japanese Aegis radar-equipped destroyers and surveillance aircraft on the missile’s angle of take-off and altitude indicated that it was...
Bush and Polish PM Make Progress on Massive Military Deal – Global Missile Defense Shield Deployment
Critics will probably focus on the expected cost of this deal (terms undecided at the moment) but this relationship is going to be very important given the uncertain situation in...
North Korean Foreign Ministry Spokesman Addresses Missile Launches
Via KCNA: A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to a question raised by KCNA Thursday as regards the missile launches in the DPRK: In the...
No comments yet.