US Navy Hits Errant US Satellite

After hearing reports that the Navy would delay firing an anti-missile rocket at the errant satellite because of bad weather in the Pacific Ocean, CNN and MSNBC are now reporting that the Navy indeed fired a missile at the wayward satellite and hit it.

Congratulations to the US Navy on this real world demonstration of technologies needed to keep the nation safe from future threats. I hope that the techies can glean as much data as they possibly can to make further improvements to the radar and guidance systems. The Navy pushed the boundaries of existing technologies, in order to obliterate a fuel tank on board the satellite that contains hydrazine, which is a very toxic substance.

The launched a SM-3 130 miles to just beyond the edge of the Earth's atmosphere in an attempt to speed its non-explosive warhead directly into the satellite.

Early in the day, a senior military officer said it did not look as if the weather would be good enough. That was shortly after the space shuttle Atlantis landed, removing the last safety issue for the military to begin determining the best moment for launch.

The aim is not just to hit the bus-sized satellite — which would burn up upon re-entering the atmosphere anyway — but to obliterate a tank onboard that is carrying 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a toxic fuel. The fuel, unused because the satellite died shortly after reaching orbit in December 2006 — could be hazardous if it landed in a populated area.

UPDATE:
It will take about 24 hours to confirm that the missile strike destroyed the hydrazine tank and its contents.

UPDATE 2/21/2008:
CNN has video and high resolution photos of the launch and subsequent destruction of the satellite. Some have suggested that the whole subject of the hydrazine gas being the reason for shooting down the satellite was just a ruse because the real purpose for taking out the satellite was to prevent anyone from ever learning and/or obtaining the kind of technologies on board the satellite. That's entirely plausible, though the Pentagon and the US is sticking with the hydrazine gas tank as the purpose.