Toxic satellite mission 'success'

The Pentagon used a missile to shoot down the satellite Enlarge Image

The Pentagon says it can confirm that the operation to destroy a disabled spy satellite with a missile fired from Earth was a success.

Officials said they were also confident that a hazardous fuel tank on board the craft - USA 193 - was destroyed.

The missile was fired from a warship in waters west of Hawaii last week.

Operatives had only a 10-second window to hit the satellite which went out of control shortly after it was launched in December 2006.

Officials were worried its hydrazine fuel could pose a deadly threat to humans if the craft was left to crash into the Earth.

Graphic of how the satellite was hit

"By all accounts this was a successful mission," said Gen James E Cartwright, vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

BROKEN SATELLITE Owner: National Reconnaissance Office Mission: Classified Launched: 14 Dec 2006 Weight: 2,300 kg (5,000lbs) 1,134kg (2,500lbs) could survive re-entry Carrying hydrazine thruster fuel

"From the debris analysis, we have a high degree of confidence the satellite's fuel tank was destroyed and the hydrazine has been dissipated."

The Pentagon statement said a modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), was fired from the USS Lake Erie.

Tracking debris

US space specialists continue to track less than 3,000 pieces of debris from the destroyed satellite, all smaller than a football.

The statement said most of the debris had already re-entered the Earth's atmosphere or would do so in the coming days and weeks.

Officials said there had been no reports of debris landing on Earth and it was unlikely any would remain intact to hit the ground.

The controversial operation was criticised by China and Russia. Russia suspects the operation was a cover to test anti-satellite technology under the US missile defence programme.

The US denied the operation was a response to an anti-satellite test carried out by China last year, which prompted fears of a space arms race.

SATELLITE DESTRUCTION

1 SM-3 missile launched from a US Navy cruiser in Pacific Ocean
2 The three-stage missile headed for collision location, where the relative "closing" speed was expected to be 10km/s (22,000mph)
3 Satellite came in range at altitude of 247km (133 nautical miles), close to edge of Earth's atmosphere
4 Missile made contact with satellite with objective of breaking fuel tank, freeing hydrazine into space
5 Much of the debris will burn up but some could be scattered over hundreds of kilometres

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