| Russia is upset, China says that the | | | | Pacific. |
| United States is lying; however, the | | | | So, was this a convenient situation that |
| deed has been done nonetheless. The | | | | allowed the United States to test their |
| rogue spy satellite was taken out on the | | | | capacity to take out a satellite? Was it |
| very first attempt. At 10:26 p.m. EST | | | | some sort of cover up like the IRAS |
| last evening, the Navy confirmed it hit | | | | satelitte that we said was inoperable |
| a falling and potentially dangerous | | | | only to turn it back on secretly? Maybe? |
| defense intelligence satellite using an | | | | The use of the Navy missile amounted to |
| SM-3 missile fired from the deck of the | | | | an unprecedented use of components of |
| USS Lake Erie in the Northern Pacific. | | | | the Pentagon's missile defense system, |
| Now we deal with the fallout- literally! | | | | designed to shoot down hostile ballistic |
| Officials say the missile likely | | | | missiles in flight — not kill |
| destroyed its intended target, a 1,000 | | | | satellites. The operation was so |
| pound tank of toxic hydrazine fuel. | | | | extraordinary, with such intense |
| "There was an explosion on impact | | | | international publicity and political |
| and over 80 pieces of debris were | | | | ramifications, that Defense Secretary |
| detected after initial | | | | Robert Gates, rather than a military |
| assessments," an official said. | | | | commander, was to make the final |
| Some of those pieces are projected to | | | | decision to pull the trigger. |
| stay in orbit for as long as 40 days | | | | And to think of the dramatics of the |
| before burning up as they fall to earth. | | | | night. It was done right after Atlantis |
| The blast is a good sign because the | | | | came back from the space station and on |
| warhead was non-explosive, meaning the | | | | the night of the lunar eclipse. What a |
| explosion was most likely caused by | | | | script! |
| hitting the gas tank. The large amount | | | | The government organized hazardous |
| of debris detected is also positive | | | | materials teams, under the code name |
| because it indicates they struck one of | | | | "Burnt Frost," to be flown to |
| the satellite's more massive sections, | | | | the site of any dangerous or otherwise |
| and the tank is one of its largest. | | | | sensitive debris that might land in the |
| The missile hit the satellite about | | | | United States or elsewhere. Six federal |
| three minutes after launch as the | | | | response groups that are positioned |
| spacecraft, roughly the size of a school | | | | across the country by the Federal |
| bus, traveled in polar orbit at more | | | | Emergency Management Agency have been |
| than 17,000 mph. Land observers with the | | | | alerted but not activated, FEMA |
| Joint Integrated Missile Defense Team in | | | | spokesman James McIntyre said. |
| Colorado Springs and Strategic Command | | | | "These are purely precautionary and |
| in Omaha will continue to assess the | | | | preparedness actions only," he |
| levels of damage along with the three | | | | said. |
| Navy ships still in the Northern | | | | |