- A Navy missile will be fired at the recalcitrant U.S. spy satellite that is heading to Earth, in an attempt to reduce the re-entry remnant to negligible bits. President Bush made the decision following the advice of his national security advisors. Gordon Johndroe, the National Security Council’s spokesperson, said this will be the first such effort of its kind. The window is rather small for the missile attack, but General James Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there is a reasonably high opportunity for success. The decision was reached due to the fact that the satellite is carrying a goodly amount of hydrazine, which is a hazardous rocket fuel. Danger to mankind? Minimal, according to Michael D. Griffin, NASA Administrator. If the satellite is destroyed, about half of the remaining debris would reach Earth within one day of the strike, and certainly, within two weeks, all of the remaining bits and pieces should have completed their Earthfall. Much ado about nothing? Probably… this is certainly a good PR move, but as Michael Krepon of the Henry L. Stimson Center said, there never been a single human being who has been harmed by man-made objects falling from space during space age history. Recall Skylab‘s tumble to Earth? No injuries…
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