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Out of control Satellite!

post #1 of 57
1/28/08 at 1:53pm
Thread Starter 
Nice!

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/spa...ef=mpstoryview

Quote:
A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and propulsion and could hit the Earth in late February or March, government officials said Saturday.

A senior government official says lawmakers and other nations are being kept apprised of the situation.

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.

"Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

"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 be perhaps 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.

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.
Keep watching the skies!
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post #2 of 57
1/28/08 at 2:05pm
We have to round up Clint Eastwood, Donlad Sutherland, Tommy Lee jones and James Gardner!
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post #3 of 57
1/28/08 at 2:07pm
And this is how the zombie uprising begins.
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post #4 of 57
1/28/08 at 2:13pm
DOOM! I Welcome Our Glass Helmet Exposed Brain Wearing Overlords.

And Capitals For Each Word In A Sentence.
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post #5 of 57
1/28/08 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Pike, director of the defense research group GlobalSecurity.org, estimated that the spacecraft weighs about 10 tons and was the size of a small bus.
linkey

I think they're just saying it contains hazardous materials so that everyone will keep back if it lands near a populated area so they can retrieve their spy stuff. You know those kookey governmental types.
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post #6 of 57
1/28/08 at 2:41pm
Do you want to know the terrible truth. . . or do you want to watch Mark McGuire sock some dingers?

*Yoink!*
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post #7 of 57
1/28/08 at 2:50pm
Weighs 10 tons and is the size of a schoolbus? Shouldn't we be a bit more concerned about this? Sounds like it could seriously fuck some shit up.
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post #8 of 57
1/28/08 at 2:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by El Tati View Post
We have to round up Clint Eastwood, Donlad Sutherland, Tommy Lee jones and James Gardner!
Who the fuck are Donlad Sutherland and James Gardner?
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post #9 of 57
1/28/08 at 2:51pm
Thread Starter 
Maybe someone will snag footage of it crashing down in the ocean near Coney Island...
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post #10 of 57
1/28/08 at 2:53pm
Smells like coverup
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post #11 of 57
1/28/08 at 3:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Happenin View Post
Weighs 10 tons and is the size of a schoolbus? Shouldn't we be a bit more concerned about this? Sounds like it could seriously fuck some shit up.
Satellites of that size routinely fall out of orbit and either break up in orbit or hit water. Remember Mir? It was a lot bigger. The only difference with this one is that we're not sure exactly where it is going to fall. But since we haven't been spy fucked by these things yet when they fell, this shouldn't be too much of a problem.
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post #12 of 57
1/28/08 at 3:14pm
Cosmos 954 Satellite cash landing:

Quote:
Meanwhile, here is what I've put together: (info taken from various web sites and magazines)

Cosmos 954 was a Soviet Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellite (RORSAT) which was powered by a nuclear reactor. Previous Soviet missions using such technology would split the reactor from the parent body of the spacecraft and boost the radioactive material into a higher orbit where the reactor would remain for 300-1000 years once the short lifetime of the satellite was over (which was well beyond the life of the radioactive material). Cosmos 954 had a special problem however - it went out of control and the technicians were unable to separate the reactor from the spacecraft's parent body.

The Russians sent out a warning that one of their satellites was going to crash and it was monitored on radar by NORAD. On January 24, 1978, Cosmos 954 deorbited and came crashing into the Great Slave Lake area of the Northwest Territories, disintegrated during reentry into a shower of radioactive debris which spread over some 124,000 square kilometers. A radioactive portion of the craft fell near a trapper's camp. A canoeist travelling through the north found this, looked at the unusual phenomenon and then left it alone. A massive search was begun to locate the debris that was made up of over 200 troops from both the Canadian Air Force and the US military and lasted until October. Around "key" areas of the crash, tight security was present and no civilians were permitted to view the scene(s). The canoeist and his radioactive find were both located and taken back to Yellowknife, where the canoeist was found to be in good health and the reactor pieces were impounded. Some of the debris was flown to Manitoba for testing.

After the clean-up, the Canadian Government sent a $15 million bill to the Soviets. The Soviets paid less than half of this amount and agreed not to take back the spacecraft. The Canadians were happy with the amount they received and were happier still that the Soviets had acknowledged the spacecraft's existence.

Of the thousands of radioactive fragments that reached the earth's surface, some were potentially lethal (i.e., the gamma ray radiation, near contact, was as high as 500 R/h). However, less than 1% of radioactive material was recovered. Think about that - 99% of the radioactive parts of this satellite are now floating around in Great Slave Lake. Keep an eye out for three-eyed trout next time you're out fishing...

As an interesting aside, psychic Earl Curley claims to have been the one who located the crashed satellite (while working in conjunction with DND).
Found the info here: http://www.hackcanada.com/canadian/other/cosmos954.html

I'm not sure if this is a true story, I haven't researched into this crash, just went looking for satellites crashing.
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post #13 of 57
1/28/08 at 3:14pm
Yeah, it's more the whole we don't know where it's going to fall thing that worries me. I know the thing breaks up, but it won't entirely incinerate, so there will be some raining hot DEATH in the forecast for someone, somewhere.
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post #14 of 57
1/28/08 at 3:19pm
If there's any sort of God or higher power.. this thing will hit my work while I'm at home tonight.

Actually, I'll settle for when I'm at work too.
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post #15 of 57
1/28/08 at 3:47pm
The odds of it hitting a populated area are pretty slim.

The odds of this being SkyNet's first step at a sneak attack...pretty damn good. I am soooo looking forward to the upcoming human/robot war.
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post #16 of 57
1/28/08 at 3:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeShaynePI View Post
Who the fuck are Donlad Sutherland and James Gardner?
Their bizarro world non-union equivalents.
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post #17 of 57
1/28/08 at 3:56pm
The Colour Out of Space: prophetic?
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post #18 of 57
1/28/08 at 3:58pm
Check to see if Deep 13 has been involved and see what happened to that temp they hired by the name of Mike.
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post #19 of 57
1/28/08 at 4:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Detonathor View Post
The Colour Out of Space: prophetic?
Also, shades of "The Andromeda Strain"?
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post #20 of 57
1/28/08 at 4:20pm
I love how the satellite "could contain hazerdous materials" and that "appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation." It all sounds so sinister.

"We have top men on it."
"Who?"
"Top. Men."
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post #21 of 57
1/28/08 at 5:55pm
Maybe the Martians shot it down!

Get NASA Astro-Robot Col. Frank Saunders on the case!
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post #22 of 57
1/28/08 at 5:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrMushnik View Post
I love how the satellite "could contain hazerdous materials" and that "appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation." It all sounds so sinister.

"We have top men on it."
"Who?"
"Top. Men."
"Are there hazardous materials on board?"
"Hmmm... there might be."
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post #23 of 57
1/29/08 at 8:37am
Man, real life sucks so much. Instead of starting a zombie plague or some hot Kaiju action, the most it will accomplish is some half ass light-show over some ocean.
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post #24 of 57
1/29/08 at 9:44am
Bullshit. At this very moment, there's some kid in a red cape who's gonna need a new arm. And some capsules. Like, fucking NOW.
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post #25 of 57
1/29/08 at 10:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Hughes View Post
And this is how the zombie uprising begins.
George A. Romero would bitch slap you for that comment. He always hated tha stupid Venus probe shit and laments every time he reads it in TV Guide. Do they still sell TV Guide?
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post #26 of 57
1/29/08 at 10:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JudgeSmails View Post
I am soooo looking forward to the upcoming human/robot war.
Me too, things seem kinda dull, don't they? I'm more hoping for a Zombie Holocaust. Nothing permanent, just a zombie uprising ala Shaun of the Dead that makes thing's interesting for a few months untill things are back under control.
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post #27 of 57
1/29/08 at 3:37pm
I think all we need here is a handsome British bloke and a pocketful of diamonds. Shoot the fucker right down.
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post #28 of 57
1/29/08 at 3:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IggytheBorg View Post
I think all we need here is a handsome British bloke and a pocketful of diamonds.
That's a philosophy I like to live by.
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post #29 of 57
1/29/08 at 4:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IggytheBorg View Post
I think all we need here is a handsome British bloke and a pocketful of diamonds. Shoot the fucker right down.
Speaking of, has anyone seen this guy




around lately?
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post #30 of 57
1/31/08 at 5:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Riviello View Post
Maybe someone will snag footage of it crashing down in the ocean near Coney Island...
Glowing green box.

Also: ten tons doesn't sound small.
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post #31 of 57
1/31/08 at 7:13pm
That's what she said.
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post #32 of 57
2/14/08 at 7:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IggytheBorg View Post
Shoot the fucker right down.
Okay!

Quote:
Originally Posted by The New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon plans to shoot down a disabled 5,000-pound spy satellite within the next two weeks, before it tumbles from orbit, because the rocket fuel it carries could be a danger to people, Pentagon officials said Thursday.
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post #33 of 57
2/14/08 at 9:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EdHocken View Post
Check to see if Deep 13 has been involved and see what happened to that temp they hired by the name of Mike.
Oh, how I would rep you for this.

Instead, have some Bobo.
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post #34 of 57
2/14/08 at 9:48pm
From the "shoot it down" article:
Quote:
President Bush ordered the action to prevent any possible contamination from that hazardous rocket fuel on board, and not out of any concern that parts of the spacecraft might survive and its secrets be revealed, officials said. The challenging mission to demolish it instead on the fringes of space will rely on an unforeseen use of ship-based weapons developed to defend against ballistic missile attacks. That makes it a real-world test both of the nation’s antiballistic missile systems and its antisatellite capabilities, even though the Pentagon said that they were not using the exercise to test their most exotic weapons or send a message to any adversaries.
I believe that every word of this paragrah is 100% the truth. And so should you if you know what's good for you...
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post #35 of 57
2/14/08 at 10:18pm
What secret could it possibly reveal? The secret of how to make a crappy broken satellite?
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post #36 of 57
2/14/08 at 10:42pm
Maybe it tells us how Lost ends.
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post #37 of 57
2/14/08 at 11:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Samurai Mike View Post
What secret could it possibly reveal?
Dick Cheney's on board.
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post #38 of 57
2/14/08 at 11:52pm
So I gather we won't be sending Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Steve Buscemi into space to land on it, drill a hole & blow it up, huh?
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post #39 of 57
2/15/08 at 12:28am
I'm crossing my fingers for people within the immediate landing area to start becoming zombified once it happens.
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post #40 of 57
2/15/08 at 12:34am
Pre Gone Baby Gone I would have been all for sending Affleck into space.
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post #41 of 57
2/21/08 at 1:10am
BOOM!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080221/...dead_satellite

Quote:
WASHINGTON - A missile launched from a Navy ship successfully struck a dying U.S. spy satellite passing 130 miles over the Pacific on Wednesday, a defense official said. Full details were not immediately available. It happened just after 10:30 p.m. EST.
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Two officials said the missile was launched successfully. One official, who is close to the process, said it hit the target. He said details on the results were not immediately known.

The goal in this first-of-its-kind mission for the Navy was not just to hit the satellite but to obliterate a tank aboard the spacecraft carrying 1,000 pounds of a toxic fuel called hydrazine.

U.S. officials have said the fuel would pose a potential health hazard to humans if it landed in a populated area. Although the odds of that were small even if the Pentagon had chosen not to try to shoot down the satellite, it was determined that it was worth trying to eliminate even that small chance.

Officials said it might take a day or longer to know for sure if the toxic fuel was blown up.
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post #42 of 57
2/21/08 at 1:46am
Damn. I owe my friend a beer.
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post #43 of 57
2/21/08 at 1:58am
I love that shooting it down cost $40 - 60 million. Add in whatever it cost to produce/launch originally (probably hundreds of millions of dollars) plus the loss of two F-15's and it's become pretty obvious that today has been an expensive day for the military.
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post #44 of 57
2/21/08 at 5:06am
And still they can't find Bin Laden.
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post #45 of 57
2/21/08 at 5:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dontEATnachos View Post
I love that shooting it down cost $40 - 60 million. Add in whatever it cost to produce/launch originally (probably hundreds of millions of dollars) plus the loss of two F-15's and it's become pretty obvious that today has been an expensive day for the military.
Wait, they lost two F-15's?
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post #46 of 57
2/21/08 at 5:16am
Yup.
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post #47 of 57
2/21/08 at 12:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jared Melton View Post
Wait, they lost two F-15's?
They'll find them sooner or later. I mean, the Wal-Mart parking lot is only so big.
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post #48 of 57
2/21/08 at 1:10pm
Come on, like DOD is going to say the missle missed the target.
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post #49 of 57
2/21/08 at 1:16pm
Guys, the wierdest thing just happened. I was at a graveyard and this creepy old guy -- must have been the undertaker -- was staggering around and moaning. I guess he was drunk -- it looked like he had wine stains around his mouth, so he must have been hitting it pretty heavily. And the bastard tried to bite me! Wierd, I tell ya.
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post #50 of 57
2/21/08 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gravedigger
Come on, like DOD is going to say the missle missed the target.
You come on, they had video! VIDEO that was shown on a plasma TV. Clearly they wouldn't lie to us about this.

It's not like the whole point of this entire thing was to show off to other countries and test our anti-satellite system without breaking treaties.
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