Gizmodo
Watch as General Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (and apparently Jack Bauer's older brother) shows how the Lockheed Martin's Aegis missile launches and successfully destroys the rogue spy satellite. This is a huge success for the Pentagon and the anti-missiles system that was first conceived in the mid-80s as part of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. Specially after many critics were saying it wasn't going to work.
Watch as General Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (and apparently Jack Bauer's older brother) shows how the Lockheed Martin's Aegis missile launches and successfully destroys the rogue spy satellite. This is a huge success for the Pentagon and the anti-missiles system that was first conceived in the mid-80s as part of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. Specially after many critics were saying it wasn't going to work.The mission was simple. At 10:26PM EST, a standard missile 3 carrying a kinetic warhead was launched northwest of Hawaii from the USS Lake Eire, a Ticonderoga Class missile defense cruiser. 24 minutes later, at 10:50, the Joint Space Operations Center at the Vandenberg Air Force base confirmed the breakup of the satellite at 153 nautical miles above the Earth from a direct hit.
While they can't confirm completely the destruction of the tank, which was needed to release the toxic fuel that may have posed a danger to us Earthlings, the Pentagon has declared the mission a complete success and with good reason. Some experts criticized the plan as probable failure during the past days, with the argument that the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, part of the Ballistic Missile Defense System being developed by the US Missile Defense Agency, wasn't designed to do this and, therefore, it wasn't going to be able to hit the target and destroy it effectively.
Their reasons were three: first, the kinetic warhead, launched in a long range standard missile 3, a isn't designed to destroy targets by explosion but by the sheer force of multiple impacts. While this is enough to destroy other incoming missiles, the critics said that this wasn't going to be enough to destroy the much larger satellite. Second was the speed of the target, which was traveling at double the speed of the missiles which are the usual target of the Aegis. And third, the tracking system, which wasn't originally designed to operate in high orbits.
The video, however, shows that the direct kinetic hit has completely obliterated its target. Now the world can rest at peace. Until A542B, that asteroid ten times bigger than Texas, finally arrives. [Wikipedia, Defense Tech Org and BBC]
Comments
Yeah! Video finally! Blast this mfing old gadget!
Seriously people! Why the f**k dose the American Government and NASA use the crappiest video shooting devices ever? When they went to the moon they had billions of dollars in hand that enabled them to use a good and decent camera which were available at that time, but they preferred using a black and white camera with the sh*tiest quality ever; and since then, it has become something usual for them, as also seen in this stupid video!
I mean couldn't they use a feakin HD camera with a high range zoom? My Sony consumer camera can take better pictures than the video they showed!!! And VHS??!!? Are they f**king kidding me!
This was a freking nice moment in human history and they've just ruined it!
I'm pretty sure they borrowed the AV equipment from the public acces channel 10 down the street from my house. Although the production values are much higher on channel 10's shows (lots of hand puppets talking about politics).
they said they had HD video and were going to release it at a later date. Maybe you should listen instead of ranting..
uhhh..
"let me tell you what WE THINK WE'RE SEEING HERE..."
40 million, for you to not really know what you did?
AMERICA!!
we're gonna blow up the moon!
@Biggy:
The impact was 150 miles into space. I'd love to see the zoom on your Sony camera if you can do better.
jackass
@BobbyMills: When did he say that? I Listened, nothing says that they are going to provide HD videos, and I also think that when he said "HD" he meant the video that we were seeing.
And what's up with: "Hydrozeen"?
@gamehendge2000: God dammit! Sorry for being sarcastic.
The point is that it is not hard to stick a telescope lens into a camera and shot some freakin High Def video footage without all the flickering and black and white nonsense!!!
I hate whatever tool you are using for this type of video. They never work on my PC. I cannot even identify what you are using so i can install it.
I'd like to see a top-down video from another satellite.
China shooting down a satellite: BAD BAD BAD
US shooting down a satellite: GOOD GOOD GOOD
propaganda forever!
@jutman:
Adobe Flash Player 9 ;)
[www.adobe.com]
So we're safe from missiles until the enemy creates anti-missile missile missiles; then we'd have to create missiles that shoot the missiles that are trying to shoot our anti-missile missiles.
@Nemo: Space Wars 2.0
Message from Pentagon to China:
Ya know that satellite killer you tested? Right back at ya. Oh and ours is already combat ready.
Message from China:
Oh Noes!
Message from formerly Soviet Russia:
In Soviet Russia, the satellite shoots down you. Oh and enjoy our new oil financed cold war.
USA! Find the head!
what's with that clicking noise? And the talking audio is barely audible.
Pfft...that is as believable as landing on the Moon.
Ron Paul ftw.
@Biggy:
If they just had that old, grainy-looking footage of the missile's flight, and then when the missile hits its mark, cut to footage of the Death Star exploding in HD, would you be happy?
This reminds me of an old Star Trek episode in which the Enterprise goes back in time to prevent some country from shooting down another country's satellite. (Apologies to the Trekkies if I got that wrong).
Where is my Frigging "LASER"?
@Nemo: China shooting down small satellite to test their military capabilities, bad. US shooting down a falling bus still filled with hydrazine and getting the chance to test their military capabilities, better.
Timmy from next door shot the video for The Pentagon with his Fisher-Price ELMO Video Camera.
Color me unimpressed, at least as a test of anti-missile technology. Unless, in the future, our enemies launch missiles at us in such a way that we have a long, long time to track them and have pretty much our choice of launch windows whenever we want. Which is what I'm totally sure is going to happen.
"This is a huge success for the Pentagon and the anti-missiles system that was first conceived in the mid-80s as part of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. Specially after many critics were saying it wasn't going to work."
Humm....the last time I checked, missiles don't stand still. As Bruce Lee said in the movie Enter the Dragon, "boards don't hit back!"
Before you go patting yourself on your own back you should make sure you can shoot down a fast moving target.
It's pretty incredible what they achieved.
Up yours China and Russia!
@Nemo: How narrowminded. The Chinese shot a satellite at 500 miles up. The result? Hazardous debris for years if not decades. Lots of satellites go in that range. Thanks a LOT, china. and they dare say they are concerned about last night's debris. Asswipes.
The difference here is that the satellite was at 140 miles up. While they say that it was to shoot down and save us from the Hydrazine, which is highly toxic, we know they actually didn't want all the stuff there to be possibly retreived by other countries (Let's not be naive, eh?). But the excuse was good, I'll give them that. The danger chances were low but hey, if we can get rid of it, why the hell not?
Now, at 140 miles up, most of the debris will burn down the atmosphere in 24-48 hours. I'd give the most resiliant a week. Lots of folks said they saw a possible Hydrazine trail, so it looks like the fuel tank's planned destruction it worked too. At least it must've leaked the stuff out.
China: BAD BAD BAD. STUPIDLY DONE. SLOPPY JOB.
US: Good. I won't use caps or overexcitement because I'm not sure it was absolutely necessary, but there, it's done. It was a clean kill, they were intelligent about it too. They waited for proper satellite decay before making it go away. Very good job.
What is that annoying clicking sound in the video? Ruined my Star Wars movie watching experience.
Kenetic kill weapons are the shizzel. Where's my personal BOLO, plinking spy sats and space craft out of orbit with 30 meter rail guns?
@aussie: Hey critics: Up yours as well.
The USA ABSOLUTELY ROCKS!!!
We are the best and our military is made up of the finest people on the planet!
The rest of you can just take a backseat and cry all you want, cuz you wish you had our capabilities....BUT YOU DON'T!
I love the taste of your salty tears.
USA FOREVER
@DeCerbo: Definitely Yes! because I'm so funny!
@Nemo: I was going to say exactly what IRISMR said. But he already said it. So read that again and pretend I said it too, just more condescendingly, because I'm a jerk.
@Biggy: @
Note: put brain in gear before pressing the keys.
@Nemo: Not propaganda, jingoism.
Take that, China! America totally has a bigger wang!
@Noobs-R-Us: From the freaking writeup, "Second was the speed of the target, which was traveling at double the speed of the missiles which are the usual target of the Aegis."
steve jobs is suing for copyright infringement. apparantly the US Navy didn't ask permission before making such a big boom
@flyboy: "Wisdom of the Geeks", great book.
@Steel_Pelican: Let the space war begin.! Anyone for mechanized armored calvary on Mars?
Reagan was a liar. That looks NOTHING like Star Wars. We've been gypped!
I think I saw that guy from Doctor Strangelove riding on the rocket on the way up. Maybe not.
There is sniping and then there is SNIPING!!!
Well done, US.
I was watching the total eclipse of the full moon last night outdoors in the freezing sharp clear air, marvelling at the incredible natural and cultural events occuring before me, hoping that we wouldn't miss... either.
Wag the Dog.
Jesus, Jesus. You're drawing a lot of conclusions about this without much basis, and your cheerleading is pretty unseemly.
Hitting a target whose path is well known far in advance is a bit different from hitting an enemy missile, and tests of these missile defense systems have been marked by exactly this kind of fudge.
And never mind the hypocrisy of condemning recent Chinese militarization of space and then doing this.
nice... did anyone was able to watch it in person ?
I just watch the moon :(
This could've all been avoided if they had installed some sort of self destruct mechanism. I know it sounds Hollywood....but is that NOT possible? I don't know if $50 million dollas would've been needed to include a slight destructive charge. Even a remote charge would've been cheaper.
well this just tells everyone that you better watch out or can shoot down your satelite
Seriously, turn the google earth satellite that way and shoot some sweet footage. And also, why no war head, a war head would leave no question as to whether or not the rogue satellite was toast.
"Houston we have a problem."
"What is it?"
"We hit the wrong f@!#er."
@Noobs-R-Us: I'm pretty sure this post at least says the satellite was moving twice as fast as a missile would. not sure if that's accurate but if you actually read the post maybe you would've checked.
@Nemo: ooooo....I knew a comment like this would pop up.
I think that's the two big problems with Commies: they lack the organ that detects irony and have instead one gland too many: the one that excretes irony.
Frankly, I think irony's a kind of pollution.
Also, a self destruct would make it much safer because it could be blown up far outside our atmosphere, letting anything that re-enters burn up. President Vader...er...Bush...Should've come up with that, even if he IS George Bush.
Oh great. Now the island people on LOST won't be able to talk to the outside world on their sat phones.
Deleted scene from The Last Starfighter.
@richardmnixon: ditto to you too.
but with a nick like nixon, of course you love the Commies. Or if you're a Chinese behind the nick, of course you love nixon. He practically gave you the UN veto rights that you used to protect those bastards in Burma. Talk about sabotaging the free world, don't make me go on...
That...was...awesome.
shit i could do that in after effects, i like the nice expressions script they used for the camara shake effect.
Hydrazine is H2NNH2. When it burns it forms nitrogen gas or N2, the strongest covalent bond in nature. That releases a TON of energy. It is basically just the explosive parts of the TNT molecule.
It isn't that toxic. Only one person is reported to have died from exposure, although the actual number is probably higher. I used to reflux this material as an undergraduate.
However, if it detonates, it takes out the entire floor of the building you are working in, depending on how much there is. A friend of mine popped half a gram of it and it broke every piece of glassware in the room and shredded his face. He has a beard now.
@Noobs-R-Us: "Before you go patting yourself on your own back you should make sure you can shoot down a fast moving target."
LEO satellites move pretty fucking fast. Apparently around twice as fast as missiles. So let the back-patting commence.
@faabshaam: A lot of rockets are equipped with Range Safety devices for that sort of purpose. The Shuttle's SRBs have these for certain.
Something about not wanting them to randomly fly off course and taking out some random retirement home or something.
However, in this case, even if this was equipped with this sort of device, it wouldn't have done any good. The reason they had to shoot it down was because they had lost contact with it... They wouldn't have been able to issue the self destruct order.
general,it's got self destruct,a homing becon for the anti missile to ride up..or you can take on honest shot.it's your call,we just build them.