Spy Satellite Shot Down

[HandyAndy]

Awesome.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080221/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/dead_satellite

 

[Create Reality]

it was faked, just like the moon landing!

damn americans and their astrospace missiles.

 

[Desert Fox]

Didn't the Chinese do this a few months prior? Where is the uproar when the USA does this? The hypocrisy is blatant, disgusting and hilarious.

 

[bigjohnson]

Uproar? For? *confused*

 

[SmoothTalker]

Uproar because generally blowing things up in orbit is a very very bad idea. When the Chinese did it it created thousands of pieces of debris flying moving very fast, many of which will stay in orbit for thousands of years. That's very dangerous to everything else up there such as other satellites and manned vehicles, since even a small piece of garbage can do some serious damage when it and you are moving at 20,000 miles an hour in opposite directions.

They say that because this satellite was so low all the garbage will burn up very quickly, which I'm not sure if I believe, but I guess that's why there's no uproar.

 

[bigjohnson]

I work a lot and stay busy with other things so I likely missed it but I didn't hear any "uproar" over any Chinese satellite. As for space trash there is a fairly credible theory that at some point there will be a critical mass that will render the prime orbit slots unusable for a very very long time.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

There would have been an uproar if they had let that puppy hit the ground with who knows how much hydrazine in it.

 

[DavenJuan]

mroe than likely it would have fell into the ocean.....??

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I'd hate to think about that stuff mixing with the ecosystem either.

 

[SmoothTalker]

Why wouldn't they include some backup self destruct/ fuel dump mechanism?

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I'm guessing that it would have put an emphasis on the possibility of the satellite needing to detonated at some time. Also, with that type of functionality built in it could easily be perceived as a weapon. For instance, what if we decided that we needed to detonate it when it was over another country such as China?

 

[Maxtro]

Most of the uproar was over the accusations that is was actually a test of an anti-satellite missile system. Was it just a test, maybe.

 

[Desert Fox]

I believe the Chinese shot theirs down as a weapons test. This was shot down for safety reasons.

Yes, "safety reasons." A mysterious satellite that just happens to "malfunction" just a short while in orbit. No self destruct mechanism. No way to bring it down safety.

This was as much a weapons test by the USA.

The media briefly said this, but they mentioned that the USA has never shot that something in low orbit with the missile they used.

But whatever, I was just trying to create discussion. Peace all....someday

 

[Tyron]

I have to say that, as a westerner, I support Russia's and China's decisions if they decide to test their weapons. After all, the balance must be maintained. Also, the US missile shield is ridiculous. Russia offered a perfect spot for the base with already built facilities but US didn't accept. If the goal really is to shoot down rogue nation's nukes, I don't see the problem. Anyway, if the shield will be built, I don't object Russia rearming Cuba... And the missile tests, you show me yours, I'll show you mine. I don't expect other nations to just sit at sidelines.

I just hope John McCain won't win the election, and that America would ease its interventionalist policies. But Im dreaming, it will never happen without drastic changes in world politics. (economical downfall etc.) Hopefully there won't be an other world war, but current events are like reading a history book pre war.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

....I just hope John McCain won't win the election, and that America would ease its interventionalist policies. But Im dreaming, it will never happen without drastic changes in world politics. (economical downfall etc.) Hopefully there won't be an other world war, but current events are like reading a history book pre war.

SECURITY!!!

 

[PRMoon]

That's right we shot down an object moving at just over 10,000 miles an hour in high orbit with a non explosive weapon and it was decimated. Anyone care to test our ACTUAL missile deterent system out? Norad is bored!

The chinese demanded some of the information concerning the event. And so far it has been given to them according. It will however be a few days until all the data of the full event is collected and processed.

 

[Giovanni Casanova]

Get ready... next time there's a big conflict with Russia or China everyone will be blasting each other's satellites out of the sky. Not only will you lose the Home and Garden Network on your television, but a lot of communications, navigations (GPS, etc.), weather forecasting, surveillance/intelligence, etc. would get f*cked up beyond all recognition. And the junkyard of space debris that would result would make further missions into space more complicated.

 

[Giovanni Casanova]

That's right we shot down an object moving at just over 10,000 miles an hour in high orbit with a non explosive weapon and it was decimated.

An actual missile would be lower and slower, but would also be smaller, more unexpected, on a less certain flight path that has not been calculated precisely by scientists over a long period of time, and may include various countermeasures to ensure it doesn't get blown out of the sky. We also waited for optimal weather conditions to take out this satellite, and that also wouldn't be an option in the event of a missile launch.

And just think -- if they take out our surveillance satellites first, we'd be in a REAL clusterf*ck.

 

[PRMoon]

An actual missile would be lower and slower, but would also be smaller, more unexpected, on a less certain flight path that has not been calculated precisely by scientists over a long period of time, and may include various countermeasures to ensure it doesn't get blown out of the sky. We also waited for optimal weather conditions to take out this satellite, and that also wouldn't be an option in the event of a missile launch.

And just think -- if they take out our surveillance satellites first, we'd be in a REAL clusterf*ck.

Uhhh NORAD! Nobody launches ANYTHING without the US knowing. I don't know how much you know about our missile defense system but the majority of the US's tracking is done by plane and not satallite. Soon they won't even need to use conventional means for satallites either. The inception of high alt UCAV's (Global Hawks HApreditors etc etc) that run indefinately without the need of orbital inception from rockets.