Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Karen Finn confirmed recently that NASA and the Pentagon plan to shoot down US 193, a failed spy satellite, to protect the Earth from the 1,000 pounds of carcinogenic hydrazine fuel.
Parts of the 5,000-pound craft could make it to Earth intact, including the fuel tank. US 193 is expected to hit Earth?s atmosphere in the first week of March.
Finn said they hope to strike it with a ship-launched Standard Missile 3. However, each piece could remain a threat to other satellites or space shuttles if the missile is fired too early. If fired too late, the turbulence of the atmosphere would make it too hard to hit accurately.
Could the satellite fuel disperse or burn up naturally on re-entry?
If we are able to rupture the fuel tank where and how we would like it, it is expected that the tank will break up and the hydrazine will disperse and the debris will fall through the atmosphere and burn.
Could the Standard Missile 3 be a potential anti-satellite weapon?
No. The SM-3 was never intended for this use. We took extraordinary measures to modify three SM-3 missiles for the purpose of engaging this satellite.
Did the U.S. have to redirect two spacecraft last month to avoid debris from the Chinese satellite shoot-down?
I don?t know the answer to this question.
How can we be sure that shooting down the satellite won?t create debris that could harm other craft?
This is carefully calculated and planned. The idea is to wait to the satellite is low enough for the missile to be reached and for the debris to continue falling through the atmosphere as opposed to becoming space debris for decades in orbit.
