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Modified US missile strikes, reduces failed satellite to 'football-sized' debris

Posted Feb 21, 2008 at 09:34PM by Ceasar S. Listed in: News, Spacecraft Tags: China, Pacific Ocean
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Modified US missile strikes, reduces failed satellite to 'football-sized' debris - Image 1 


Though the world awaits confirmation of the tank wreckage of NROL-21, a recently dubbed rogue recon satellite, US officials confirmed that they've eliminated the toxic threat that the satellite's hydrazine tanks posed. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was confident that the US Navy missile - a modified Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) - impacted with optimum results and reduced the satellite to "football-sized chunks."

Numerous tracking stations confirmed that the interception happened some 250 kilometers (150 miles) over the Pacific Ocean, and the low altitude strike will ensure that the debris will re-enter the atmosphere - if not remain in it. But officials say that it will take up to 40 days for all the parts to enter the atmosphere and burn up.

US officials claimed in earlier reports that the shootdown was necessary to avoid the release of hydrazine, a toxic fuel on NROL-21, while re-entering Earth's atmosphere. But Russia and China have viewed that the shootdown was a "veiled" attempt to test US' strength in a foreseeable space militarization race.

General James Cartwright said that a full confirmation of the hydrazine tank would be available in the next 24-48 hours. We'll check on that once the full report rolls in.

[Via AFP] Permalink  |   Email this  |   Linking Blogs   |   Digg It!

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   by Ryan C. (QJ. NET Staff) - 2008-02-21
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