US to shoot down failed satellite at 10:30pm ET tonight

Oh boy, tonight's the night. According to CNN sources, the US Navy plans to shoot down that failed satellite at 2230 ET from a ship west of Hawaii. The idea is to get a shot off as early as possible in case a second or third attempt is required. The $10 million missile fired from the USS Lake Erie will not carry a warhead. Instead, the 22,000mph impact on the school-bus sized satellite combined with the exploding hydrazine fuel tank should blast the satellite into bite-sized chunks expected to burn up in the atmosphere. Unfortunately, the timing of the launch -- 5:30pm locally -- means that our naked eyes won't likely be treated to much of a show. That's what observatories are for.

Update: The deed is now done.

[John Johnson @ Feb 20th 2008 8:15AM]

That's really awesome with the lunar eclipse happening tonight between 10:00 and 10:50

[Organic_Shadow @ Feb 20th 2008 9:54AM]

Exactly. I was already going to be out tonight watching for the blood moon. :)

[Blackstar @ Feb 20th 2008 1:10PM]

Ok.. but... um, what happens to the missile... if they miss?!? O.o Are we going to have to shoot down the missile with an anti-missile, missile? Or worse... we end up hitting someone else's satellite altogether by mistake:

"This just in, the U.S. Navy wishes to apologize for wiping out Dish Network satellite television for the Hawaiian Islands and all of the U.S. west cost. Admiral Alistair M. Shortsighted had this to say about the incident... "Sorry, my bad." Now, back to you Jim."

[Hung @ Feb 20th 2008 8:54PM]

If the missile is fast enough to intersect an orbiting satellite (ludicrous speed), it'll probably be fast enough to escape earth's pull and end up hitting a much farther target. For example, the USS Enterprise.

P.S. It took me 5 minutes to wiki an fictional spaceship. Death Star just doesn't have the same effect. Most people won't need to google "Death Star."

[John Johnson @ Feb 20th 2008 9:53PM]

Yeah, I totally had to Google the USS Enterprise.

Er, when were you born again? :/

[Julio @ Feb 20th 2008 8:18AM]

can it explode in space?

[Rob @ Feb 20th 2008 8:25AM]

I thought thing didn't explode in space, and rather imploded due to the pressure. However, if the thing is closer to the atmosphere, then maybe. Any astronomers in the house who'd like to share their knowledge?

[slug @ Feb 20th 2008 8:40AM]

What pressure?

[Tom Oliveri @ Feb 20th 2008 8:41AM]

well forget a fireball.. there's no oxygen, forget an 'explosion' sound, there's no air..

but yeah it's a pressurized container, im sure it can explode.

[Jon Acheson @ Feb 20th 2008 9:37AM]

The hydrazine is part of a hypergolic rocket fuel system (one that uses two usually nasty chemicals that ignite on contact with each other). If they bust open that tank, and the oxidizer, they will definitely explode on contact.

That's assuming there is oxidizer on board, from the description it is possible the oxidizer was used up during the malfunction the satellite suffered at launch.

[Gorodn @ Feb 20th 2008 9:50AM]

Implode??? Pressure????

[Mark @ Feb 21st 2008 12:41AM]

Yes, the hydrazine fuel is flammable in space. All space bound rocket fuels are highly oxygenated because of the lack of O2 in space. Without oxygen there can be no explosion.

Also, things do not necessarily implode in space. That term is relative to the pressure (or lack there of) that you're dealing with. An implosion simply means that there is lesser pressure inside the structure when it fails, than that which is around it. Therefore, the object caves and succumbs to the greater pressure outside of it.

I.E. If you were to take a tank and seal it at sea level and take it to the bottom of the ocean, the tank would likely implode because the pressure of the water is greater than that which is at sea level (and in the tank). If, however, you take that same tank and bring it up to 60,000ft or even into space, the tank would explode because of the greater pressure at sea level (and in the tank).

[VooDooRoo @ Feb 20th 2008 8:19AM]

Hey
I`m in Western Japan
thats in 15 minutes time!

Who`s time is this 10.30pm? My time?,your time?their time?Our time?

Didn`t swatch try to make a watch with internet time?
Why not put that on the top of your page so we can use it as a guide?


Thanks for your time, Time to go

[Rob K @ Feb 20th 2008 8:24AM]

The stories title says ET, meaning Eastern Time (US & Canada) or GMT-05:00

[Grey Acumen @ Feb 20th 2008 9:14AM]

I am Eastern Time. So over what part of the globe exactly is this thing going to be blowing up over and is there anyplace people can check online to get up to date info on the launch? I'd kinda like to see if I can check to watch for the explosion...

[Homeboy @ Feb 20th 2008 8:23AM]

I guess the Alien moved it around like a kite dodging the missile.

[T-Rex @ Feb 20th 2008 8:35AM]

The timing of shooting down the satellite during the eclipse is just to scared the crap out of the Chinese

[jonathan @ Feb 20th 2008 8:29AM]

It should take them ONE shot to take this thing out..not a second..third..fourth etc...if we can shoot downa freakin SAT than how can we shoot down missiles????

[John @ Feb 20th 2008 10:50AM]

I assume you mean if we CAN'T shoot down a satellite. And the difference is, the satellite is way, WAY the fuck up there, moving at orbital velocity.

[kempcross @ Feb 20th 2008 11:12AM]

We can't shoot down missiles. The missile defense shield has an extremely low success rate, regardless of what the military says, so I would actually not be surprised if this fails.

[jd @ Feb 20th 2008 8:32AM]

To Rob: there is no pressure in the space. what did you get in ur science class.


10 million for a missile? wow, american are so rich. and why do they call it miss so?

ps: why dont they use the laser weapon instead?

pps: did the development forget to desice a self destroy machenism?

[Husar @ Feb 20th 2008 8:36AM]

I think the alien thats doing this disabled the self destruct mechanism :P

[Rob @ Feb 20th 2008 8:38AM]

jd:
Instead of being an ass, why don't you share some knowledge. Since you're master of all astronomy and any specialties in Space Science, what would happen when this missile hits the satellite? Would it explode or implode? Everyone is claiming that it will explode. What say you?

[bob sakamano @ Feb 20th 2008 8:43AM]

JD even if it had a self destruct mechanize, I think the whole point of them shooting it down is because they do not have contact with it. Or else they would have just guided it back nice and neat.

[rob @ Feb 20th 2008 8:32AM]

Hope this gonna work. Hydrazine is not going to explode for the shock only; it needs an oxidizer.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UDMH

[NONE @ Feb 20th 2008 9:07AM]

I suspect this attempt is to ensure that the US *can* shoot down a satellite and to make the rest of the world aware of our military abilities. /sigh

[Ted @ Feb 20th 2008 10:14AM]

China has done so already and I'm assuming next, Russia will be next to make some excuse to shoot down a satellite.

[Tim @ Feb 20th 2008 10:53AM]

To bad the world has been aware of our abilities to destroy satellites for two decades (1985). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solwind_P78-1

[bob sakamano @ Feb 20th 2008 8:43AM]

mechanism*

[Mr. Smith @ Feb 20th 2008 8:46AM]

ok, je pense qu'on se fait niaiser.. j'ai recu un mail de marc à 1h45 ce matin
===============
Oublie ça pour ce soir (mardi), j'ai travaillé toute la soirée (armée), et j'ai pu avoir la chance de me planter dans mon examen de Mat265 aujourd'hui.

Je vais travailler là-dessus demain soir, et matin, si possible.

Marc

[Mr. Smith @ Feb 20th 2008 9:16AM]

Now, that's why i want an EDIT BUTTON!!!
Engadget? Do you hear me? delete this comment thx

[Grandalf @ Feb 20th 2008 9:35AM]

Most informative reply! I didn't understand any of it, but it made me giggle a little bit anyway. Having to deal with multible languages can be jolly confusing sometimes :)

[Zeus.:God @ Feb 20th 2008 10:38AM]

French...

[Jesse S @ Feb 20th 2008 11:24AM]

...How does that even happen?

Did you just type French that is completely unrelated to your comment below by accident?

Maybe some copypasta?

[Mr. Smith @ Feb 20th 2008 3:43PM]

Jesse, exactly

[Mr. Smith @ Feb 20th 2008 8:48AM]

The fact is : It's a dummy satellite!!!! They only want to test their uberleet missile. And to be sure the world know their superiority, they call it a US Spy Satellite..! Heyodeleeee!

[Mike @ Feb 20th 2008 10:36AM]

Ahhh yes, the left leaning Quebecois mentality hard at work again. Eh oui, GW te vise personellement! NO! It's a spy satellite that has decided to go TU and needs to be brought down.

Sheesh....

[Steffen Jobbs @ Feb 20th 2008 11:26AM]

You got low-ranked but I agree with you. That supposed $1B satellite is probably some cheap dummy, target satellite that they can use to test their missile system without fear of reprisals. Not like they're likely to hit it anyhow. If they miss, then it's tough luck for whoever gets creamed by the satellite.

[Mr. Smith @ Feb 20th 2008 3:42PM]

Mike.. no seriously, it's the internet.. don't get everything as if it was true. I was trolling here. Mais tu es tombé dans la facilité sachant que j'étais un québécois.. sad, yes sad. But as i said, it's the internet.. so you can say what you want :)

[Adam @ Feb 20th 2008 8:49AM]

I wonder if it's really being shot down because of the risk of debris or because the Pentagon doesn't want anyone getting their hands on top secret military hardware (whatever was left of it if it were to crash into earth).

[Kizorblade @ Feb 20th 2008 9:04AM]

Both probably. Although the former less likely (Chances of you being hit... Pretty low)

[insertAlias @ Feb 20th 2008 9:04AM]

A little of Column A, a little of Column B.

Who says that it can't be both?

[Daza @ Feb 20th 2008 9:23AM]

Probably both.

[Tom Oliveri @ Feb 20th 2008 8:49AM]

US to shoot down failed satellite - today
US failed to shoot down satellite - tomorrow

[mzinZ @ Feb 20th 2008 11:02AM]

LOL. Exactly what I thought the topic said when I first glanced.

[Kal @ Feb 20th 2008 8:20PM]

More like "US Fails to hit Sat, and crashes into Chinese Sat in a freak accident"

[robofatty @ Feb 20th 2008 8:54AM]

"school-bus sized"

[Een @ Feb 23rd 2008 9:13PM]

i think its funny that they are shooting it down at the same time as the lunar eclipse tonight.

also i can think of alot better things to spend 10mil on.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Feb 20th 2008 9:02AM]

U.S. accidentally shoots down china satellite,starts ww3

U.S. accidentally missed satellite, hits China: WW3 starts.
U.S. shoots at satellite, hits intelligent alien ship, aliens invade and the Earth is decimated.

or last but not least.
U.S. blows up satellite, small cultures the world over commit mass suicide. ( fear of end of world)

I'll watch this here at 7 pm my time. yeah gmt-3.5 hours. you figure it out where I am. It'll be dark and its a beautiful clear sunny day out. I will hook my vid cam to my high powered binoculars and see if I can get a video of the missiles impact. If I manage to get it. it will be on the etube later.

[andres @ Feb 20th 2008 10:41PM]

U.S. hits our robot overloards, transformers invade the earth