U.S. plans to destroy its rogue satellite with missile

by Frank James

The U.S. reconaissance radar satellite that failed shortly after launch and is hurtling back towards the ground, which it could hit sometime in early March, will be shot down by a missile fired from a U.S. naval vessel. At least, that's the plan, according to a Pentagon briefing this afternoon.

And, no, the reason for the planned shoot-down of the satellite launched in December 2006 is not because the U.S. is concerned about classified material aboard as has been rumored in the blogosphere. The important stuff would be heated to the point of being useless for another nation's intelligence gathering purposes, the officials claimed.

The actual reason, at least, according to the government officials who briefed reporters at the Pentagon this afternoon, is because of fears that the hydrazine fuel aboard the satellite could harm people if the satellite fell in a populated area.

The concern is that the hydrazine could cause respiratory distress if someone inhaled its fumes. That's what persuaded President Bush to sign off on the shoot-down, said the briefers Gen. James Cartwright, vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Deputy National Security Adviser James Jeffrey and Michael Griffin, the NASA adminstrator.

The briefers couldn't or didn't say exactly when this intentional friendly-fire would take place. The time window appears to be sometime by the end of February.

The officials were asked during the briefing if the mission was in any way related to China's use of an anti-missile satellite last year to destroy an old weather satellite. Why no, they said. It's the safety of people on the ground, they insisted.

Their denial is unlikely to end speculation, however, that the mission is an attempt to send a message to the Chinese that two can play at the satellite-destroying game.

The Chinese satellite destruction sent tremors through the U.S. defense establishment which relies heavily on missiles not just for spying but for global positioning to a fare thee well, which allows U.S. weapons to land with awesome precision.

Here are some other details, as reported by the Associated Press:

"This is the first time we've used a tactical missile to engage a spacecraft," Cartwright said.

After extensive study and analysis, U.S. officials came to the conclusion that, "we're better off taking the attempt than not," Cartwright said.

He said a Navy missile known as Standard Missile 3 would be fired in an attempt to intercept the satellite just prior to it re-entering Earth's atmosphere. It would be "next to impossible" to hit the satellite after that because of atmospheric disturbances, Cartwright said.

A second goal, he said, is to directly hit the fuel tank in order to minimize the amount of fuel that returns to Earth.

Software associated with the Standard Missile 3 has been modified to enhance the chances of the missile's sensors recognizing that the satellite is its target; he noted that the missile's designed mission is to shoot down ballistic missiles, not satellites. Other officials said the missile's maximum range, while a classified figure, is not great enough to hit a satellite operating in normal orbits.

"It's a one-time deal," Cartwright said when asked whether the modified Standard Missile 3 should be considered a new U.S. anti-satellite weapon technology.

Cartwright also said that if an initial shootdown attempt fails, a decision will be made whether to take a second shot.

Jeffrey said members of Congress were briefed on the plan earlier Thursday and that diplomatic notifications to other countries would be made before the end of the day.

Shooting down a satellite is particularly sensitive because of the controversy surrounding China's anti-satellite test last year, when Beijing shot down one of its defunct weather satellites, drawing immediate criticism from the U.S. and other countries.

A key concern at that time was the debris created by Chinese satellite's destruction — and that will also be a focus now, as the U.S. determines exactly when and under what circumstances to shoot down its errant satellite.

The military will have to choose a time and a location that will avoid to the greatest degree any damage to other satellites in the sky. Also, there is the possibility that large pieces could remain, and either stay in orbit where they can collide with other satellites or possibly fall to Earth.

It is not known where the satellite will hit. But officials familiar with the situation say about half of the 5,000-pound spacecraft is expected to survive its blazing descent through the atmosphere and will scatter debris — some of it potentially hazardous — over several hundred miles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The satellite is outfitted with thrusters — small engines used to position it in space. They contain the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine, which can cause harm to anyone who contacts it. Officials have said there is about 1,000 pounds of propellent on the satellite.

Known by its military designation US 193, the satellite was launched in December 2006. It lost power and its central computer failed almost immediately afterward, leaving it uncontrollable. It carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor.