ViceZilla’s Views

The U.S. plans to shoot down a failed spy satellite as early as next week before it enters the Earth’s atmosphere, because they say it poses a public safety risk. Left alone they tell us, about half of the the 5,000 pound bus sized satellite is expected to survive the re-entry into the atmosphere and would scatter debris over several hundred miles. This and the fact that it is carrying an estimated 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel called Hydrazine.

Ummm, I call bullshit on the Bush Administration’s claims that it is doing this for public safety, but rather a veiled attempt to test their missile defense system. And what better target than one of their own defunct spy satellites.

When the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry of the Atmosphere, it was a hell of a lot larger than a bus and was also carrying hydrozine, and the pieces that did end up falling to earth were miniscule. So the risk caused by something a fraction the size of the Columbia being anything that would cause extensive damage after it’s 17,000 mph plunge through the atmosphere is a stretch.

Given the Bush Administration’s history of lies for the past seven years, anything they might have to say about the reasons for their actions, really need to be questioned. They could really do themselves some good for a change by just coming out and being honest. For example, “The U.S. is going to violate the international treaty against weapons in space by shooting down one of its own defunct satellites later this week before it enters the Earth’s atmosphere.”

See? That wasn’t so difficult. At least now we all know the true intentions of the test, as opposed to being taken for complete idiots for believing for one second that the Bush Administration would be doing this in the interests of public safety.

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Technorati Tags: Satellite, Weapons in Space, Missile Defense System, US 193, hydrazine

Tags: Bush Administration, Musings //