American spy satellite 'the size of a bus' is out of control and hurtling towards Ear

[WhiteFeather]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1811

10-ton American spy satellite has lost power and could hit the Earth in the next few weeks, government officials said today.


The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said.


The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret. It was not clear how long ago the satellite lost power, or under what circumstances.

"Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, when asked about the situation after it was disclosed by other officials.

"Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause."

He would not comment on whether it is possible for the satellite to perhaps be shot down by a missile. He said it would be inappropriate to discuss any specifics at this time.

A senior government official said that lawmakers and other nations are being kept apprised of the situation.

The spacecraft contains hydrazine - which is rocket fuel - according to a government official who was not authorized to speak publicly but spoke on condition of anonymity.

Hydrazine, a colorless liquid with an ammonia-like odor, is a toxic chemical and can cause harm to anyone who contacts it.

An uncontrolled re-entry could risk exposure of U.S. secrets, said John Pike, a defense and intelligence expert.



Spy satellites typically are disposed of through a controlled re-entry into the ocean so that no one else can access the spacecraft, he said.

Pike also said it is not likely the threat from the satellite could be eliminated by shooting it down with a missile, because that would create debris that would then re-enter the atmosphere and burn up or hit the ground.

Pike, director of the defense research group GlobalSecurity.org, estimated that the spacecraft weighs about 10 tons and was the size of a small bus.

He said the satellite would create 10 times less debris than the Columbia space shuttle crash in 2003. Satellites have natural decay periods, and it is possible this one died as long as a year ago and is just now getting ready to re-enter the atmosphere, he said.

Jeffrey Richelson, a senior fellow with the National Security Archive, said the spacecraft likely is a photo reconnaissance satellite.

Such eyes in the sky are used to gather visual information from space about adversarial governments and terror groups, including construction at suspected nuclear sites or militant training camps.

The satellites also can be used to survey damage from hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters.

The largest uncontrolled re-entry by a NASA spacecraft was Skylab, the 78-ton (79.25-metric ton) abandoned space station that fell from orbit in 1979.

Its debris dropped harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and across a remote section of western Australia.

In 2000, NASA engineers successfully directed a safe de-orbit of the 17-ton (17.27-metric ton) Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, using rockets aboard the satellite to bring it down in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.

In 2002, officials believe debris from a 7,000-pound (3175.18-kilogram) science satellite smacked into the Earth's atmosphere and rained down over the Persian Gulf, a few thousand miles from where they first predicted it would plummet.

[sjl127]

Good. I hope it hits my house, of course when we're not there, so I can sue for reckless endangerment and gross negligence.

[CG1492]

I wanna look through it so I know all the secrets, but then again I don't want to spend the rest of my life running from sweaper teams. Decisions

[RocketFoot]

The Government should ban satellites...they are dangerous and can kill people!

[Tomcat088]

LOL, something about this whole thing makes me think it's BS and some propoganda by the UK. It wasn't the ship's own power that was keeping it up anyway. They usually are set at a correct orbit so that they stay in it, unless something else changed that. I'm sure that they DEFINATELY know exactly where it's gonna hit, the calculations aren't that hard. Maybe it's true, but I'm still totally questioning this whole thing. The "top secret" thing just lets them say later, well the government wouldn't tell everybody about it, but it's the truth.

[Brown-Bear]

Remeber the gov't does'nt kill people, Satellites falling from space do.

[sjl127]

I'm a cynic. I can't help but think that perhaps China had something to do with this. It's known that they are actively pursuing an anti satellite ballistic missile program...

Whenever the government puts out a statement, my first response is, "BULLSHIT."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16689558/

[billamj]

I'm a cynic. I can't help but thing that perhaps China had something to do with this. It's known that they are actively pursuing an anti satellite ballistic missile program...

Whenever the government puts out a statement, my first response is, "BULLSHIT."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16689558/

Ummmm, wow! It is a known fact that from the date of entry into orbit any object, without a functioning propulsion system, will have it's orbit degrade. Satellites, and other objects that are in orbit, fail all of the time and their orbits degrade to the point where they will reenter the atmosphere. These are all known facts. Considering the thousands of man made objects in orbit it is astounding to me that more of them don't degrade on an annual basis.

[Tomcat088]

I agree with you Billmj, they do have their orbits degrade and "fall". There are usually calculations and they know where they're gonna fall too. They might not release it, but I still think it's bs that they're saying nobody knows where it's gonna fall, etc.

[billamj]

I agree with you Billmj, they do have their orbits degrade and "fall". There are usually calculations and they know where they're gonna fall too. They might not release it, but I still think it's bs that they're saying nobody knows where it's gonna fall, etc.

I think that the degradation has to start so that they can make the calculations. Right now, from what I understand, it is only in the preliminary stages so they can't say with any certainty that it will be in this area. What can I say, I was stationed at HQ NORAD and became a geek about this kind of stuff.