Spy Satellite In The Crosshairs ... We hope UPDATE

A spy satellite that lost power is anticipated to be shot down February 20th by the Navy. Reportedly, the Navy will deploy the marginal missile defense system.

When the failed satellite was first reported as falling to earth on January 27,2008, it was expected that no action would be taken as it would burn up in the atmosphere. The satellite had only been placed in orbit on December 14, 2007. It was also stated that the satellite contained toxic material (rocket propellant hydrazine see note), and that using a missile into destroy it would potentially create a larger debris field.

Then on February 14th Noah Shachtman reported that the Pentagon planned to shoot down the satellite. The plan called for taking out the satellite with a missile just before it enters the atmosphere.

The decision to attempt a shoot down of the missile does seem like a reversal of concerns - namely spreading the debris field over a large area. Therefore it is no surprise that some might raise questions about George Bush's decision to use the questionable missile defense system. Is it necessary, an opportunity to live test the system outside the atmosphere, or a threat? Russia claims this is a "cover" to test the missile defense system. They argue that the U.S. has "avoided talks" about keeping arms out of space, and that the administration has not provided enough information about why this action is necessary. China has raised concerns as well, and asks that the U.S. meet security obligations.

If successful, one would assume that the satellite would just join the ever-growing debris field that is circling the planet. It will be embarrassing if the attempt to destroy the satellite fails. However, aside from testing the system, it seems likely that there is a desire to make sure that none of the spy (and perhaps weapons) technology on the satellite reach the earth in any identifiable form.

UPDATE 2/20/08 According to a Reuters report, the Navy is unlikely to try shooting down the satellite today because of rough seas.

Now that's a fine ho-do-you-do for a missile defense program. It doesn't work when the weather is poor.

Note:
The Wall Street Journal's Health Blog said this about the potential dispersal of hydrazine:

There's a high holy-cow factor here, we have to admit, with some complicated geopolitical undertones that are beyond our expertise. What we do know is that this is the first time the U.S. military is going to try to knock out a re-entering satellite.

But what caught the Health Blog's eye, right after the amazing missile-shoot-down part, was the hydrazine factor. That missile shoot is lot of trouble to go to. Sure it's common sense that you wouldn't want to splash rocket fuel on your face as after shave. But what is hydrazine, and why is it so hazardous?

...

A little on your skin will give you a rash, he says. Inhaling it is like sniffing a bottle of Windex, only worse. "If the droplets are inhaled ... you're going to run into problems with lungs," Ramos says. Breathing in a lot of hydrazine "will immediately give you pulmonary edema, retention of water in the lungs. You can no longer breathe."

The EPA tells us that short-term exposure to hydrazine can cause "irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, dizziness, headache, nausea, pulmonary edema, seizures, and coma." As an added hazard bonus, the chemical is classified as a "probable carcinogen."

See Also:
Hydrazine at the EPA's Technology Transfer Network.