It’s ironic to read that a U.S. spy satellite, US 193, that has been bobbing around in an uncontrolled fashion in outer space for just over a year after it’s initial launch failed is now making it’s way into Earth’s atmosphere and is expected to most likely hit somewhere within the United States itself by the end of February, beginning of March, 2008.
The 13-16.5 foot, 20,000 lb. ball of toxic fuel, described as being only the size of a small bus, is expected to create a small crater and hopes are that it will break up and burn during its 30 minute passage through the atmosphere. There has been some talk of shooting it down with a missile or two but some government officials feel that it is too soon to speculate such discussions.
Let’s not forget that in September 2007 the U.S. shot down one of it’s own spy satellites (though it never fessed up to the incident) and the thing (they were calling it a meteorite but anyone smarter than dead plant life knows what it really was…) landed in Peru. The U.S. spy satellite (probably about the size of a small bus) created a 30 foot crater and sickened more than 200 residents in the area because of the toxic fumes and chemicals spewing from the crater and satellite remains.
Once the satellite hits a certain part of the atmosphere it will land lickety-split – supposedly when it gets to 59 miles above the Earth’s surface it will meet Terra Firma within 30 minutes. As stated earlier, hopes are – it burns up. Expectations are – it probably won’t.
Can the U.S. government be expected to do anything to stop this? Answer: Come on! They are probably aiming it at a high populace area! Maybe even at an area where a 30 foot crater would be considered an improvement! 🙂
A View from my Balcony 