Author Topic: Spysat fell to Earth--in 1964  (Read 1790 times)

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Spysat fell to Earth--in 1964
« on: 02/18/2008 12:21 pm »
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1063/1

Spysat down!
by Dwayne A. Day
Monday, February 18, 2008

On February 14th the Pentagon held a news conference to announce that the United States was planning on firing a missile to blow up one of its errant satellites, named USA 193, in order to prevent its hydrazine fuel from reaching the ground. General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, denied that the planned attack on the satellite had anything to do with preventing its classified equipment from reaching the ground. This is probably true. As the Columbia accident demonstrated, spacecraft, even those intended to survive reentry, break up into barely recognizable pieces over large amounts of territory when they do not reenter properly. And general officers rarely face television cameras and tell flat-out lies.

What seems more likely than senior military officials worrying about the infinitesimal chance of classified material falling into the wrong hands, is that the White House is interested in demonstrating its ASAT and missile defense capabilities and responding to China’s January 2007 ASAT test—all under the cover of protecting public safety.

But this is not the first time that a US reconnaissance satellite has come down in an unplanned manner and caused intense embarrassment. The most spectacular case occurred nearly 44 years ago.

Offline Jirka Dlouhy

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Re: Spysat fell to Earth--in 1964
« Reply #1 on: 02/18/2008 02:27 pm »
Was in this time Bold Orion project ready to destroy this satellite?

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Re: Spysat fell to Earth--in 1964
« Reply #2 on: 02/18/2008 02:34 pm »
Quote
Jirka Dlouhy - 18/2/2008  9:27 AM

Was in this time Bold Orion project ready to destroy this satellite?

No.  Bold Orion was an experimental program and I believe that it ended a couple of years before this occurred.

As far as I know, there was never any thought about shooting down this satellite.

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