Nitromater
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
U.S. gets ready to shoot down satellite!
- Thread starter ProStockJunkie
- Start date
Dave
Nitro Member
More of our tax money well spent. Big buck satalite didn't work and now another $40-$60 million to shoot it down. Best part is they don't seem too concerned if they don't hit it. Next time somebody is looking to piss away a few million dollars, they can just send it to me. I promise it will be well spent.
Dave
Dave
none
Nitro Member
You do realize this is a spy satellite?
Apart from the potential safety issue, it's also a national security issue. Mucho sensitive equipment aboard.
Remember the Norden bombsight in WW2, and the lengths our country went to protect it's secrets from our enemies?
FABMAN
Nitro Member
They say shelf live of these missiles is five years. Might as well see if system works, money's already spent, this satellite is secret and we don't want any part of it getting in the wrong hands.
Jim
Nitro Member
According to CNN it worked, Defense Department: Navy missile hits dying spy satellite
This situation is very interesting as why the military would make this so public.
Our government has been wanting to put the missle shield in E. Europe for some time and Russia is completely against it...So to show the world that we can blow-up a satellite in space w/ weapons designed to bring down nuke bombs is sending the world a message, IMO, that we can accomplish this goal from American property...Very impressive...
Our government has been wanting to put the missle shield in E. Europe for some time and Russia is completely against it...So to show the world that we can blow-up a satellite in space w/ weapons designed to bring down nuke bombs is sending the world a message, IMO, that we can accomplish this goal from American property...Very impressive...
Last edited:
onfire
Nitro Member
Coyote Jack
Nitro Member
Looking at this from the conspiracy point of view.
The military has a hard time shooting down a slow moving scud missle. If that is the case I find it hard to believe they could shoot down a satellite motoring along at close to 20000 MPH. Could this have been a dog and pony show to cover up the test of a satellite based lazer weapon?
Just a thought.
Jack
The military has a hard time shooting down a slow moving scud missle. If that is the case I find it hard to believe they could shoot down a satellite motoring along at close to 20000 MPH. Could this have been a dog and pony show to cover up the test of a satellite based lazer weapon?
Just a thought.
Jack
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
Where's the debris? I want proof. Oh let me guess - it "burned away" on re-entering the atmosphere, right? Better yet, the government could pay me to go to a secluded junk yard somewhere with a torch cutter & sledge hammer and tear up the hood of an '89 Dodge Aries, and show it to every news network......
Last edited:
.
Nitro Member
So you're saying the Chinese can do it but the U.S. can't?
Coyote Jack
Nitro Member
I didn't know the Chineese could. If they can, fine. I just find it a little funny that they only hit about half the scud's they aim at. Also, I don't think they are ever going to show us the best they have. Just getting a little controversy going. LOL
Jack
Jack
FABMAN
Nitro Member
If you're talking about war in early 90's protecting Israel from attacks by Iraq, that's not the system they used to take down satellite, besides that was 17yrs ago and technology much better now.
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
Was it supposed to actually hit the USA it it hadn't been taken down?
Eddie
Nitro Member
The system used against the SCUD missiles was an anti-aircraft system, quickly modified to try to use as an anti-missile system. The fact that it hit half was a miracle of ingenuity...
The Standard 3 missile that downed the satellite was specifically designed as an anti-missile system and was only capable of hitting the satellite because it was in a decaying orbit, which put it at an altitude where the missile could reach it.
Hitting a satellite in a decaying orbit is a much simpler problem than hitting a warhead during re-entry - they had tons of tracking data to help aim the missile at a point in space where the missile's guidance system had a high probability of locking on to the target rather than just a few seconds of tracking information to work with.
The biggest problem with the Hawk system was not that it couldn't intercet the missiles, it was that the warhead was not designed to work against re-entering warheads. It did not destroy the warhead, even though it caused a lot of damage to the SCUD missile. The Standard 3 warhead is designed to turn the warhead into small fragments, which is what it did to the satellite.
The Standard 3 missile that downed the satellite was specifically designed as an anti-missile system and was only capable of hitting the satellite because it was in a decaying orbit, which put it at an altitude where the missile could reach it.
Hitting a satellite in a decaying orbit is a much simpler problem than hitting a warhead during re-entry - they had tons of tracking data to help aim the missile at a point in space where the missile's guidance system had a high probability of locking on to the target rather than just a few seconds of tracking information to work with.
The biggest problem with the Hawk system was not that it couldn't intercet the missiles, it was that the warhead was not designed to work against re-entering warheads. It did not destroy the warhead, even though it caused a lot of damage to the SCUD missile. The Standard 3 warhead is designed to turn the warhead into small fragments, which is what it did to the satellite.
Last edited:
Coyote Jack
Nitro Member
Now it seems to me that the big reason for having to shoot it down was the risk of a cloud of deadly fumes from the fuel still on board if it re-entered on it's own.
Now, I'm no rocket scientist, but if it was fuel and it burned on re-entry, by the time any fumes got to the ground, they would be well dispersed. Do they not worry about this with other satellite's and maybe even the shuttle's? And no, they don't use all fuel aboard before they re-enter. They always have a safety margin.
Uncle Sam's military is never going to show us their best stuff unless it is a time of all out war which none of us ever want to see.
I couldn't care less how they shot it down, just so long as it doesn't or didn't land on me. LOL
Jack
Now, I'm no rocket scientist, but if it was fuel and it burned on re-entry, by the time any fumes got to the ground, they would be well dispersed. Do they not worry about this with other satellite's and maybe even the shuttle's? And no, they don't use all fuel aboard before they re-enter. They always have a safety margin.
Uncle Sam's military is never going to show us their best stuff unless it is a time of all out war which none of us ever want to see.
I couldn't care less how they shot it down, just so long as it doesn't or didn't land on me. LOL
Jack
