Defunct Spy Satellite Falling From Orbit
By EILEEN SULLIVAN,
AP
Posted: 2008-01-27 18:11:07
WASHINGTON (Jan. 26) - A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and could
hit the Earth in late February or early March, government officials said
Saturday.
The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous
materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is
classified as secret. It was not clear how long ago the satellite lost power, or
under what circumstances.
"Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon
Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, when asked about the
situation after it was disclosed by other officials. "Numerous satellites
over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at
potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause."
He would not comment on whether it is possible for the satellite to be shot
down by a missile. He said it would be inappropriate to discuss any specifics
at this time.
A senior government official said that lawmakers and other nations are being
kept apprised of the situation.
The spacecraft contains hydrazine — which is rocket fuel — according to a
government official who was not authorized to speak publicly but spoke on
condition of anonymity. Hydrazine, a colorless liquid with an ammonia-like odor,
is a toxic chemical and can cause harm to anyone who contacts it.
Such an uncontrolled re-entry could risk exposure of U.S. secrets, said John
Pike, a defense and intelligence expert. Spy satellites typically are
disposed of through a controlled re-entry into the ocean so that no one else can
access the spacecraft, he said.
Pike also said it's not likely the threat from the satellite could be
eliminated by shooting it down with a missile, because that would create debris
that would then re-enter the atmosphere and burn up or hit the ground.
Pike, director of the defense research group GlobalSecurity.org, estimated
that the spacecraft weighs about 20,000 pounds and is the size of a small bus.
He said the satellite would create 10 times less debris than the Columbia
space shuttle crash in 2003. Satellites have natural decay periods, and it's
possible this one died as long as a year ago and is just now getting ready to
re-enter the atmosphere, he said.
Jeffrey Richelson, a senior fellow with the National Security Archive, said
the spacecraft likely is a photo reconnaissance satellite. Such eyes in the
sky are used to gather visual information from space about adversarial
governments and terror groups, including construction at suspected nuclear sites or
militant training camps. The satellites also can be used to survey damage
from hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters.
The largest uncontrolled re-entry by a NASA spacecraft was Skylab, the
78-ton abandoned space station that fell from orbit in 1979. Its debris dropped
harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and across a remote section of western
Australia.
In 2000, NASA engineers successfully directed a safe de-orbit of the 17-ton
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, using rockets aboard the satellite to bring it
down in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.
In 2002, officials believe debris from a 7,000-pound science satellite
smacked into the Earth's atmosphere and rained down over the Persian Gulf, a few
thousand miles from where they first predicted it would plummet.
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