[CPEO-MEF] Hydrazine on spy satellite

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

Experts query Pentagon’s explanation for shooting down spy satellite

Physics Today
February 15, 2008

Physics Today: A spy satellite called US 193 that was launched in 
December 2006 but never reached its correct orbit will be shot down by 
the US navy with a Aegis SM-3 missile before it re-enters out-of-control 
into the Earth’s atmosphere says Joint Chiefs of Staff vice chairman 
General James Carwright. The decision, ordered by President Bush, is 
causing controversy in wake of China’s test shooting down of weather 
satellite last year (see Physics Today articles China Raises Stakes on 
Space Arms Race March 2007 and Space debris October 2007) and because of 
the reasons given by Carwright for destroying the satellite. According 
to Carwright in a press conference held at the Pentagon this afternoon 
the highly toxic hydrazine fuel that the spy satellite uses is a 
significant risk to human health, and therefore dispersing the fuel 
before re-entry would be safer. US 193 would be hit "just prior to it 
hitting the Earth's atmosphere," Cartwright said. It would be the first 
time that a tactical missile has been used to take out a satellite.

...

For the entire article, see
http://blogs.physicstoday.org/newspicks/2008/02/experts_query_pentagons_explan.html

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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