<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>WASHINGTON (AP) — Taking a page from Hollywood science fiction, the Pentagon said Thursday it will try to shoot down a dying, bus-sized U.S. spy satellite loaded with toxic fuel on a collision course with the Earth. The military hopes to smash the satellite as soon as next week — just before it enters Earth's atmosphere — with a single missile fired from a Navy cruiser in the northern Pacific Ocean. The dramatic maneuver may well trigger international concerns, and U.S. officials have begun notifying other countries of the plan — stressing that it does not signal the start of a new American anti-satellite weapons program. Military and administration officials said the satellite is carrying fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground. That reason alone, they said, convinced President Bush to order the shoot-down. "That is the only thing that breaks it out, that is worthy of taking extraordinary measures," said Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a Pentagon briefing.</div> Source What the christ? I've never heard of anything like this...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Feb 15 2008, 03:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>WASHINGTON (AP) ?€” Taking a page from Hollywood science fiction, the Pentagon said Thursday it will try to shoot down a dying, bus-sized U.S. spy satellite loaded with toxic fuel on a collision course with the Earth. The military hopes to smash the satellite as soon as next week ?€” just before it enters Earth's atmosphere ?€” with a single missile fired from a Navy cruiser in the northern Pacific Ocean. The dramatic maneuver may well trigger international concerns, and U.S. officials have begun notifying other countries of the plan ?€” stressing that it does not signal the start of a new American anti-satellite weapons program. Military and administration officials said the satellite is carrying fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground. That reason alone, they said, convinced President Bush to order the shoot-down. "That is the only thing that breaks it out, that is worthy of taking extraordinary measures," said Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a Pentagon briefing.</div> Source What the christ? I've never heard of anything like this... </div> This makes sense, we don't want this shit landing in a schoolyard or whatever.
I don't want to sound old or anything, but that's pretty amazing that we can fire a missile from a boat and hit something moving in outer space.
