spacetoday.net: space news from around the webin association with SpaceNews


Navy missile intercepts decaying satellite
Posted: Thu, Feb 21, 2008, 7:52 AM ET (1252 GMT)
SM-3 launch on satellite intercept 2008 Feb 20 (DoD) A missile launched from a US Navy ship in the Pacific late Wednesday hit a defunct satellite in a decaying orbit, although officials said it could take up to a day to determine the results of the intercept. The Navy launched a single modified SM-3 missile from the cruiser USS Lake Erie at 10:26 pm EST Wednesday (0326 GMT Thursday), hitting the USA 193 satellite moments later at an altitude of 247 kilometers. Pentagon officials said the impact appeared to be a direct hit, but it would take up to 24 hours to measure the results of the intercept, including whether the spacecraft's fuel tank was ruptured. The US announced a week ago that it planned to break up the satellite, an experimental reconnaissance satellite that failed shortly after launch in December 2006, before the spacecraft performed an uncontrolled reentry. The primary reason for the intercept, officials said, was to prevent the satellite's fuel tank, which contains over 450 kilograms of frozen hydrazine fuel, from surviving the reentry intact. Others have speculated the intercept is a means to prevent any sensitive technology on the satellite from falling into foreign hands, as well as to demonstrate the US's missile defense capabilities.
<<previous article   next article>>
news in brief
US and UK militaries conduct coordinated satellite maneuvers
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:30 AM ET (1230 GMT)

Blue Origin retires a New Shepard capsule after payload flight
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:25 AM ET (1225 GMT)

Astra planning first Rocket 4 launch in mid-2026
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:21 AM ET (1221 GMT)

news links
Friday, October 17
Vandenberg Space Force Base to Double SpaceX Launch Operations
Santa Barbara (CA) Edhat — 6:11 am ET (1011 GMT)
Don't give Russia space
Kyiv Independent — 6:09 am ET (1009 GMT)


about spacetoday.net   ·   info@spacetoday.net   ·   mailing list