USA 193 Spy Satellite Shot Down

A US spy satellite that died soon after its launch in December 2006 was beginning a slow and certain descent into the Earth's atmosphere. The danger of this satellite was the toxic fuel it had stored in its tanks, if it were to fall to Earth, the fuel's contact with humans could prove fatal. The decision was made to launch a modified heat seeking warhead from a naval vessel into space to destroy it.

A approximately 10:30 PM EST, a single missile was fired from the USS Lake Erie and the missile hit the satellite as it traveled at more than 17,000 miles per hour, as reported by the Pentagon. It is believed that the debris from the explosion will circle the Earth for a day or two before finally burning up upon reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. Pentagon sources have assured the world community that the fuel tank - the main reason for the missile launch - was destroyed.

Read the entire New York Times article here.

Computer Generated Simulation of Missile Launch & Hit

plez sez: can you say "Star Wars"? i thought you could...

i'm a skeptic... so sue me... but what isn't the pentagon telling us: what the heck was REALLY on that satellite that they don't want anyone to know about? i'm not really buying this hoo-ey about toxic fuel, satellites of various sizes crash to the Earth a lot and what makes the fuel on this one any more toxic than any other? the space shuttle was just up in space, why couldn't it have been used to pluck it out of orbit (unless the pentagon didn't want NASA looking up their skirts)?

what are "they" hiding from us?!? don't say that i didn't tell you, but there was probably something captured on that satellite that our government doesn't want ANYONE to know about... and they couldn't risk whatever it is coming back to Earth intact! ...and don't ask me how i know these things! *wink*