O/T - Dead Spy Satellite Could hit Earth within a month

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325829,00.html

Dead Spy Satellite Could Hit Earth Within a Month, Officials Say
Sunday, January 27, 2008



WASHINGTON - 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 perhaps
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.

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.

As for possible hazardous material in the spacecraft, Pike said it might
contain beryllium, a light metal with a high melting point that is used in
the defense and aerospace industries. Breathing beryllium can lead to
chronic, incurable respiratory problems.

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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