US: Spy satellite missile strike 'successful'

A missile fired to shoot down an out-of-control spy satellite orbiting 130 miles above the Earth’s surface successfully destroyed the hazardous onboard fuel tank, US officials said today.

In the first mission of its kind, the US Navy struck the satellite with its first attempt.

But Chinese officials said China was on alert today for possible harmful fallout from the fuel tank and urged Washington to release data to allow the countries likely to be affected to take precautions.

Two US officials said the missile, fired from a US Navy warship, apparently achieved the main aim of destroying the onboard tank of toxic fuel.

President George Bush made the decision to shoot down the 5,000lb USA 193 satellite, which is about the size of a small bus, after predicting that about half the satellite would survive its descent through the atmosphere.

It was equipped with small rocket “thruster” loaded with toxic hydrazine fuel, which can cause coughing, irritated throat and lungs, convulsions, seizures, and long-term exposure can damage the liver, kidney and reproductive organs.

The missile attempt was approved by the US president out of concern that the toxic fuel on board could crash to earth.

The Pentagon said the USS Lake Erie, armed with an SM-3 missile designed to knock down incoming missiles – not orbiting satellites – launched the attack from the Pacific Ocean at around 10.26pm EST on Wednesday (3.26am Irish time today).

It hit the satellite as the spacecraft travelled at more than 17,000mph.

The Pentagon spokesman said: “A network of land, air, sea and space-based sensors confirms that the US military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the earth’s atmosphere.

“The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000lbs (453 kg) of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people on earth, before it entered into the Earth’s atmosphere.”

Speaking at a news conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said China was “continuously following closely the possible harm caused by the US action to outer space security and relevant countries”.

The Pentagon said debris would begin to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere immediately.

The spokesman said: “Nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days.”

The US government organised hazardous materials teams, under the codename Burnt Frost, to be flown to the site of any dangerous or otherwise sensitive debris that might land in the United States or elsewhere.

Some observers said the mission blurred the lines between defending against a hostile long-range missile and targeting satellites in orbit.

But US officials insisted it was different to when the Chinese intercepted a satellite in January last year, because that had not posed any risk to human life.

China’s anti-satellite test was criticised for being dangerous. The targeted satellite was located about 500 miles (800km) above the earth and the resulting debris threatened communication satellites and other kinds of orbiting space vehicles.

Denny Roy, an expert on the Chinese military at the East-West Center in Honolulu, said the distinction between the two incidents may be lost on many people.

“What the American (have done) greatly undercuts the condemnation heaped on China last year,” he said.