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