Video: Navy gives rogue satellite the full Death Star treatment
posted at 8:34 am on February 21, 2008 by Allahpundit
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They needed steady seas, had a time window of only a few seconds to shoot, and were aiming at something no bigger than a bus, and they still got it. Man, did they ever:
[Marine Gen. James Cartwright] estimated there was an 80-90 percent chance that the missile struck the most important target on the satellite — its fuel tank, containing 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, which Pentagon officials say could have posed a health hazard to humans if it had landed in a populated area…
The size of the debris is smaller than the Pentagon had forecast and most of the satellite’s intelligence value was likely destroyed, Cartwright said. Though the Pentagon has played down that aspect of the shootdown, analysts had said one of the reasons for the operation was that officials worried that without it, larger chunks of the satellite could fall and be recovered, opening the possibility of secret technology falling into the hands of the Chinese or others.
“Football-sized chunks,” quoth the AFP. Goldfarb sees it as a de facto ad for missile defense. If shooting down an ICBM is like hitting a bullet with a bullet, this is like hitting a wafting tennis ball with a bullet: Not quite as impressive, but darned sweet.
Check out the awesomely awesome high-rez photos here, then click the image to watch.
Update: Cuffy Meigs knows his missile defense.
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I was there. It was pretty shweet!!
Jared_MA on February 21, 2008 at 8:40 AM
It’s good when the grownups are in charge. Stay home on election day and see how The Christ Child would handle this. Mookie should have one of these dropped on him when the ceasefire ends.
LtE126 on February 21, 2008 at 8:42 AM
Dang. That almost makes me happy to do my taxes.
Slublog on February 21, 2008 at 8:43 AM
Wasn’t the missile unarmed? Anybody know why?
Still, nice shooting guys!
dhimwit on February 21, 2008 at 8:45 AM
Don’t be too proud of this technological wonder of yours. It is insignificant when compared to that of the Force!
In all my life, I’ve never been proud of the US military until now!
Nethicus on February 21, 2008 at 8:45 AM
Absolutely amazing. Good thing they got it with the first shot…at $10 million/missle, you really don’t want to miss.
JetBoy on February 21, 2008 at 8:46 AM
Ditto. Feel safer already.
amerpundit on February 21, 2008 at 8:47 AM
Just as long as this thing doesn’t pass through the atmosphere carrying some kind of strange radiation that causes the recent dead to rise as flesh-eating zombies, seeking human victims to prey and feast upon, bringing about the collapse of civilization as we know it!
I mean, we have this lousy Presidential election coming up! Like I need another headache on top of that one to ruin my day!
pilamaye on February 21, 2008 at 8:50 AM
That, right there, is the best thing backing the US dollar.
Witness the full faith and credit of the United States.
Saltysam on February 21, 2008 at 8:51 AM
Of course the Obamassiah will cancel missile defense funding. First, all the scientists say it can’t work. Second, he’ll need that money for his Global Poverty Act and for creating all those “Green Collar jobs” he’s talking about.
funky chicken on February 21, 2008 at 8:51 AM
Great shot kid! That was one in a million.
indythinker on February 21, 2008 at 8:52 AM
Somewhere another Iranian general begins secretly packing his bags and planning his escape route.
Limerick on February 21, 2008 at 8:52 AM
Take that, Russians.
matd on February 21, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Dude, details!
(unless it one of those pesky “top secret-have to kill ya” things :P)
artlover on February 21, 2008 at 8:55 AM
I wonder if Michelle Obama is proud?
darwin on February 21, 2008 at 8:55 AM
Message to liberals: I am again proud of the United States to be a legal American!
trs on February 21, 2008 at 8:56 AM
Now that’s what I’m talking about!
Yo, china and russia, kiss our big freaking red white and blue a$$.
heh heh heh!
JustTruth101 on February 21, 2008 at 8:57 AM
Holy-freaking-WOW!!!
God bless our military, and God bless America!
revolutionismyname on February 21, 2008 at 8:57 AM
I don’t know, maybe thats what we need….Nah, Obama and his “flock” are safe. brain eating zombies only attack conservatives
Wyrd on February 21, 2008 at 9:01 AM
Amazing!
robblefarian on February 21, 2008 at 9:04 AM
I’m not buying it. This was just Bush instructing the Navy to bring down his space Tsunami gun before he has to leave office, knowing that President Obama would reveal Bush’s evil truth once in office.
And come on, those explosions were CGI. No solid footage of the rocket rising to the detonation, just a video of a rocket going up, then cut away to a CGI explosion. Ooh, maybe Bush was actually launching Tsunami Gun 2 (with this whole satellite thing as a diversion) in anticipation of suspending elections and declaring himself King this fall!
Yeah, that’s it.
/leftieloonierant off
Midas on February 21, 2008 at 9:05 AM
…aiming at something no bigger than a bus - traveling a couple thousand mph.
Impressive!
Wingo on February 21, 2008 at 9:07 AM
And SM-3 missiles can’t break broken spy satellites. Google it.
amerpundit on February 21, 2008 at 9:08 AM
Gotta love that VLS. Not as much fun as the old MK26 I played with, but much more reliable.
And that Standard Missile airframe, wow, I never expected it to be this awesome!
JamesLee on February 21, 2008 at 9:08 AM
Of course, with that spy satellite gone, now we’ll never find Carmen Sandiego…
JetBoy on February 21, 2008 at 9:09 AM
The US military is the best trained, best equipped in the history of the world. Any questions??? End of discussion!!!
pueblo1032 on February 21, 2008 at 9:13 AM
Holy crap, was that sweet. They blew that thing up good!
I also dug the video of the rancher plugging prairie dogs on the grazing land. Heh.
Jaibones on February 21, 2008 at 9:13 AM
I wonder how the NORAD guys and gals decided who got to push the button. Drawing staws, Rock/Paper/Scissors???
THE CHOSEN ONE on February 21, 2008 at 9:13 AM
The gauntlet has just been thrown down to the Iranians and their backers. Go ahead, spend time and fortune on missiles to hit us. By the time you get it figured out, we’ll have a defence that will make them obsolete.
tomk59 on February 21, 2008 at 9:13 AM
I wonder if Michelle Obama is proud of America after this…
D2Boston on February 21, 2008 at 9:16 AM
China said this morning they want the data from the strike turned over just to make sure. Why have the US turn it over, just have one of your dozens of double agents in the pentagon pick up a copy.
THE CHOSEN ONE on February 21, 2008 at 9:17 AM
Job well done. Even the PSYOPs portion of the mission has been handled supremely well.
A++
12thman on February 21, 2008 at 9:17 AM
D2Boston on February 21, 2008 at 9:16 AM
No. Cause Barak didn’t fire it.
THE CHOSEN ONE on February 21, 2008 at 9:18 AM
I’m no engineer, but I believe bottom line orbital speed is about 17.5k mph. Subtract for drag since it was on its way down, and you probably still have four/five-fold “a couple thousand mph”.
Anyone know how fast the target was moving?
(BTW AP, orbital speed is many times faster than a bullet since 17,500 mph is about 25,700 fps)
Saltysam on February 21, 2008 at 9:19 AM
Never understood the leftist aversion to missile defense. Why, it’s almost like they want us to be defenseless against an incoming ICBM.
amkun on February 21, 2008 at 9:20 AM
Put that in your pipe and smoke it…China and Putin.
Pulchritudinous Patriot on February 21, 2008 at 9:21 AM
That’s great !
One question - did the Chinese use our technology to shoot down their satellite?
BowHuntingTexas on February 21, 2008 at 9:22 AM
Aw, HELL YEAH!
Unlike some others, I am very, very proud of America today, and it has nothing to do with Barack Obama.
gridlock2 on February 21, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Hey Vladimir… for our next trick, the next one will be going right up your…
D2Boston on February 21, 2008 at 9:23 AM
LMAO!
And Chinese, and Norks, and Iranians…
Bigfoot on February 21, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Fox says the missile and satellite collided “at a combined speed of 22,000 mph”.
amerpundit on February 21, 2008 at 9:24 AM
Message to dopey Iranian 1950’s era missle techs: All your future ICBMs are belong to us.
Alden Pyle on February 21, 2008 at 9:26 AM
That was pretty awesome.
SoulGlo on February 21, 2008 at 9:26 AM
I have to agree with slublog. I too may cringe a bit less when I sign my 1040 this year. Michelle Obama, are you proud to be an American this morning?
flutejpl on February 21, 2008 at 9:27 AM
Thank you Ronald Reagan
jp on February 21, 2008 at 9:27 AM
It’s about being weaker geopolitically, I think. We’re totalitarian war-mongering imperialists, don’t forget. Anything that keeps us down a peg from that perspective - makes us more subject to the pressures and whims of outside forces - must therefore be a good thing.
With a solid missile defense system, we’d obviously be invading China and Russia this very day, destroying their culture and supplanting it with ours (and a few Bush statues), and that would never do. So absence of a missile defense system is a good thing, see? :)
Midas on February 21, 2008 at 9:27 AM
Even awesomer than awesome.
I still think we shouldn’t have publicly agonized over how extremely difficult it was for us to do this. It would have been far better to just break into scheduled TV programming with Bush saying “Hey, y’all…watch this!”
flipflop on February 21, 2008 at 9:28 AM
The mother of U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Jackson is proud of her boy today.
The kid who fired the missile is named Andrew Jackson. Just another layer of sweeeeet on top of the sundae…
gridlock2 on February 21, 2008 at 9:28 AM
Even better if he tossed the word ‘nukular’ in there a few times, just to grate on some folks. ;)
Awesomely awesome!
Midas on February 21, 2008 at 9:29 AM
Hmmmm…that really doesn’t answer the question, though. Bummer.
Saltysam on February 21, 2008 at 9:29 AM
Score one for Surface Warfare!! Or is it Space Warfare now?
All those movies made about aviators and bubbleheads and the cranky SWOs finally get some well-deserved recognition. God bless the USS LAKE ERIE and her crew.
Note to Kim, Putin, and Ahmadinnerjacket: You just got pwned by an ’80s-era cruiser with a ’70s era fire control computer. Better get some better missles, suckers.
fiatboomer on February 21, 2008 at 9:33 AM
I wonder if this shot made Michelle Obama proud ?
DoctorDentons on February 21, 2008 at 9:36 AM
Not only did they shoot and kill a bus sized object traveling a thousand miles an hour that was 130 miles away they hit it in a very specific location.
bj1126 on February 21, 2008 at 9:37 AM
I heard 8 -10 KM per second, and that this is faster than any missile we might be targeting travel.
Pablo on February 21, 2008 at 9:38 AM
Coming soon to the local health food store…Hydrazine Blockers.
Limerick on February 21, 2008 at 9:43 AM
That would have been awesome! I can imagine the look on his face while saying it too.
Pulchritudinous Patriot on February 21, 2008 at 9:43 AM
Kudos to our military! Magnificent show of arms, bravo!
Next time we want target practice, I hope intelligence sends up a dummy satelite instead of this expensive dud. Where were the ineffective parts made, and by whom?!
The “Mr. English” who sided with “Mr. Islam” against America is photographed cheering on the correct side.
maverick muse on February 21, 2008 at 9:44 AM
Could you - or some other rocket scientist - explain that?
How exactly is this different or less impressive than shooting down a missile? Aren’t the targets traveling at similar speeds on similar trajectories and of similar size?
Is it the orbital configuration that would make hitting a satellite easier than hitting a ballistic missile? Or was the satellite actually significantly bigger?
Just curious. When I first saw this, I assumed it was, in essence, a successful test of a ballistic missile defense system. If that’s not true, I’d like to hear the details.
Use small words. I’m no physicist and rarely stay at Holiday Inn Express.
Professor Blather on February 21, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Sounds a little more plausible; however, my math says 8-10 kps would keep that puppy in orbit, or even breaking away and flying off into space.
Saltysam on February 21, 2008 at 9:47 AM
Remember how they ridiculed us when, back in the Reagan days, they called it ‘Star Wars’?
Yes, I feel safer. This kind of technology is our only hope, now that nukes are so easy that everybody wants one.
petefrt on February 21, 2008 at 9:51 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_velocity
yeah it’s wiki…but the math looks pretty.
Limerick on February 21, 2008 at 9:52 AM
I’m with you. A successful test, and…message
fromrewritten for the State Department.Saltysam on February 21, 2008 at 9:53 AM
Russia and China just took a collective dump.
SECOND LOOK AT AWESOME MILITARY EXPLOSION VIDEOS!!!
Seriously, we need more stuff like this.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on February 21, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Indeed.
I don’t expect a fool-proof system capable of knocking down a full-scale Russian attack. But that’s not the scenario that worries me.
I’ve long pictured this nightmare scenario of some rogue nation or entity (North Korea? Terrorist controlled Pakistan? Al-Queda with stolen mobile ICMB launchers?) manages to launch just one or two missiles at a couple American cities.
I picture the missiles on the way. 30 minutes warning. Plenty of time to take them out.
But the Democrat President and the Democrat Congress just eliminated funding for any missile defense programs. The technology is all there, but its been moth-balled. It’s sitting in laboratories and warehouses. It could be ready for use - given a week or two.
But we’ve got 30 minutes.
And I picture that Democrat President sitting in his office and realizing what he’s done. How easily he could have saved the millions of Americans that are about to be vaporized.
And he can’t do a thing. Not one thing.
Professor Blather on February 21, 2008 at 9:57 AM
That particular missile system is designed to collide with the incoming target. At the speeds involved, kinetic energy alone is all that is needed. An explosive warhead would simply be overkill and unnecessary dead weight.
prairiemain on February 21, 2008 at 9:57 AM
Which brings up another interesting question: didn’t we just make it pretty clear to Russia and China (and North Korea and Iran) that in the event of war, our Navy could take out all of their satellites in about half an hour?
Professor Blather on February 21, 2008 at 9:59 AM
We all know the real reason was the Generals wanted to test their fancy “Star Wars” tech for reals. Even more ammunition against Democrats whose only response to progressive American self defense is that it “won’t work.”
Neo on February 21, 2008 at 9:59 AM
Well, that’s definately bigger than a womp-rat, so it shouldn’t have been a problem.
Frozen Tex on February 21, 2008 at 9:59 AM
You’re forgetting the cool factor.
They should have used explosives. For the video. I paid for that missile. Entertain me, dammit.
Professor Blather on February 21, 2008 at 10:00 AM
When allowed to do their job the military does it very well, so stand aside Congress and libs and the U.S. will remain a safe place to live and prosper in.
MSGTAS on February 21, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Yep. Hence, the collective dump. The also argues strongly against LOST. If LOST had been ratified, we would have had to go to the UN to get permission to shoot down our satellite which something the Democrats would want anyway.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on February 21, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Remember the ‘91 Gulf War vids of the smart bombs? Hell yeah!
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on February 21, 2008 at 10:04 AM
I’d love to know, but we probably won’t for many, many years, just what, exactly, they were aiming at. Like a range target, while the casual observer sees a sharpshooter pointing at the target, the sharpshooter is actually aiming for the bullseye. In this case, the satellite may be as big as a bus, but the 1,000 gallon tank is equivalent to about 5′ cubed.
I may be sitting here amazed at what they did, but I suspect that I should be stunned.
Dusty on February 21, 2008 at 10:05 AM
This also argues that we need to increase defense spending specifically to increase the size of the Navy for rapid response operations.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on February 21, 2008 at 10:05 AM
One shot one kill.
America, F*CK YEAH!
infidel4life on February 21, 2008 at 10:07 AM
That’ll leave a mark!
Yeah, I think this was basically an excuse to send a warning shot across the collective bows of these clowns. Wasn’t Iran working on a satellite?
CurtZHP on February 21, 2008 at 10:11 AM
We got our money’s worth of great technology. Bravo to the Navy! Of course, the chinese proved the same thing last year - with all credit due billyboy and sandy ‘pants’ berger.
locomotivebreath1901 on February 21, 2008 at 10:11 AM
“… And the rocket’s red glaaaaaaaaaare,
The satellite bursting in aaaaaair …”
Tony737 on February 21, 2008 at 10:12 AM
“Now witness the power of this fully armed and operational Death Star!”
Tony737 on February 21, 2008 at 10:13 AM
And we must elect Obama, lest we have to see Reagan statues as well– “Father of Star Wars” on all the footplates even. Obama will do the right thing and slash our military budget to make sure no more shameful demonstrations of US hegemony can occur.
funky chicken on February 21, 2008 at 10:13 AM
True dat, playa. If someone with capital in Hollywood had the money, use this as a basis for a movie. It would be hugely successful. The American military blowin’ sh!t for 2 hours? I’m there!!!
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on February 21, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Sure he can. And he (or she) would. Blame the Republicans for the whole thing.
infidel4life on February 21, 2008 at 10:14 AM
“Gave proof through the night…..
That we can kick your a$$ from anywhere.”
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on February 21, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Anyone remember that old Andy Griffith show “Salvage 1?” I can’t help but think about that everytime they mention the ‘toxic fuel Hydrazine.’
In that show, these junyard guys build a homemade spaceship so they can go to the moon and take all the stuff left there by the Apollo guys. Anyway, the extremely hazardous and very powerful fuel they used was ‘monohydrazine.’
JamesLee on February 21, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Explosives aren’t really necessary when you’re getting hit by on object moving at Mach 12+, particularly since this was probably a head-on shot meaning the satellite was moving at at least that speed in the other direction.
If you want to compare the physics involved in this collision, think about meteor impacts.
BohicaTwentyTwo on February 21, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Trust me here, the Admirals had the Commanders and Captains up all night preparing shiny Powerpoint presentations (briefings) to make exactly that point today, while the victory is still fresh.
And some AF generals are really, really POed because the Navy got to do the glamour missile work.
funky chicken on February 21, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Hey Bezerkeley, we did that to protect ingrates like you. It would have served you right if it had fallen on you and your Code Pinko freaks.
Go America, Go U.S. Navy, Go President Bush.
Ceroth on February 21, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Let’s just say a missle hitting you at 22,000 mph is to be considered armed.
TheSitRep on February 21, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Way cool! “Give the Man a Kwepie doll, or his choice of gifts on the second shelf.”
Awsome shot. Awesome camera work.
*Blows smoke out of barrel, and holsters rocket launcher*
I will sleep more comfortably tonight.
davidk on February 21, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Prairidog, sitrep,
Thanks for the clarification. I was afraid that the lawyers or the State Department had made the Navy pull its punch.
YES WE COULD!
dhimwit on February 21, 2008 at 10:46 AM
I’ve heard that hitting a space craft with a missle is akin to two men standing on opposite sides of a house, each holding a baseball. The first guy yell’s ‘Here it comes’ and tosses his ball over the house towards guy #2. Guy #2 hears guy #1 yell and then tosses his ball over the house towards guy #1, hoping that his ball will intercept guy #2’s ball. Now, just speed up the baseballs to 17,000 miles an hour and you get the picture of how hard this really is. It’s like hitting a bullett with a bullett in a dark room.
The fact that we can do this has got to scare the Chicoms, Sovietskis, NoKors and Iraniacs to death. We can, in effect, blind them and cut off all their satellite based communications any time we want. No weather data, even.
Today was a seminal moment.
DrW on February 21, 2008 at 10:51 AM
At the speeds these intercept situations unfold, only a computer can make the fire decision in time.
Score one for Skynet!
pseudonominus on February 21, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Billions and billions to fly our neighbors up into space so we can watch fruit flies do the hoochie-koochie and look at the pretty stars.
Yeah…I believe that. ;)
U.S. Navy, keep spending those dollars anyway you want. I’ll gladly keep signing the checks.
Limerick on February 21, 2008 at 10:55 AM
The interceptor doesn’t need a warhead. When it strikes the target, the closing speed is enough to send hypersonic shock waves through both vehicles…this is the same thing a chemical explosive does.
pseudonominus on February 21, 2008 at 10:56 AM
Yeah right. He’d be thinking “shit, my ratings are going in the tank after this!”
amkun on February 21, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
davidk on February 21, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Tell everybody, “Good job!” for us. We are very proud of them.
davidk on February 21, 2008 at 11:02 AM
There are no buttons at NORAD for launching missiles. They merely monitor missile launch activity around the world and track incoming threats to North America. The button was onboard the Lake Erie.
RMCS_USN on February 21, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Funny. Maybe with some Red, White, and Blue coloring.
davidk on February 21, 2008 at 11:03 AM
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