Sensor network detects nuclear blasts worldwide

Editor Note: 55 Wing/45RS Constant Phoenix Aircraft
WC-135W Serial number 61-2667 (AE0941) Static Callsign: Cobra 67 and it is a modified C-135B.
WC-135C Serial number 62-3582 (AE13E5) Static Callsign: Cobra 82 and it is an extensively modified former EC-135C Looking Glass aircraft.

by Cheryl Pellerin, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- At any time of the day or night, on any day of the year, if a nuclear device explodes anywhere on Earth, a Defense Department network established in 1947 will know about it.

That was the year Army Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower directed the Army Air Corps to develop such a capability, and the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection System has evolved over 64 years into a one-of-a-kind global web of sensors that see, feel, hear and sniff out nuclear explosions that occur under land or sea, in the atmosphere or in space.

The Air Force detection system and the job of monitoring three nuclear treaties -- the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty, the 1974 Threshold Test Ban Treaty and the 1976 Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty -- in 1980 became a responsibility of the U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center, called AFTAC, at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.

When the system detects a nuclear event, AFTAC scientists analyze it and report findings to national command authorities through U.S. Air Force headquarters.

David O'Brien is AFTAC's chief scientist.

"Our responsibility is to ensure that foreign nations are adhering to the provisions of those treaties," O'Brien said.

To monitor the atmosphere and space, he said, the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection System, called USAEDS, has sensors aboard more than 20 satellites that make up the Global Positioning System and the infrared-sensing satellites that make up the Defense Support Program.

"The latter," O'Brien said, "are what the United States uses to detect launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles."

Multiple sensors on all those satellites "look for phenomenology from a nuclear explosion that occurs in space or in the atmosphere," he added, "whether it's nuclear radiation or the flash from the fireball."

The network's five hydroacoustic stations detect undersea nuclear explosions.

"Those are just underwater microphones, and they listen for the explosion that goes off underwater," the scientist said. "By detecting the explosions on more than one underwater microphone, we can triangulate where it occurred."

But the workhorse since the treaties came into effect to ban atmospheric nuclear testing, O'Brien said, has been the underground nuclear monitoring capability.

"Those sensors are seismic, and the reason they're seismic is that when a large explosion occurs underground, it creates a signature that looks just like an earthquake," he said.

Infrasound sensors measure changes in the atmosphere generated by very-low-frequency acoustic waves that can come from above-ground nuclear explosions.

USAEDS still supplements some of its 40 seismic stations with infrasound, the scientist said, and in the 1960s used infrasound as the main way to detect nuclear explosions in the atmosphere.

"But once we were able to get sensors on satellites," he said, "that gave us a much better capability."

When the program first began, its only sensor, an air sampler, flew on a B-29 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean. In 1949, flying between Alaska and Japan, the sampler detected debris from the first Russian atomic test.

Today the system uses another aircraft, a WC-135, in a program called Constant Phoenix to collect air samples from areas where nuclear explosions have occurred.

If there is a nuclear explosion, O'Brien said, "we will (use meteorology) to project where radioactive debris would go. Then when it gets into international airspace, the aircraft can go to that spot."

The plane collects particles so analysts on the ground can test them to see if they contain radionuclides, or radioactive elements.

The plane also collects radioactive gases, especially radioactive xenon, which is a good indicator that a nuclear explosion has occurred.

With all these sensors, the U.S. Atomic Energy Nuclear Detection System is the only network that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but it isn't the only global detection system.

In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the provisions of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. One major provision prohibited nuclear explosions anywhere, by anyone.

Another provision described a 337-facility International Monitoring System that would scan the earth for nuclear treaty violations. The IMS facilities include seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide stations, but no satellite sensors.

Most of the world's countries have signed and ratified the treaty. Three countries that have not signed the treaty have since tested nuclear devices -- India and Pakistan in 1998 and North Korea in 2006.

The treaty has not yet entered into force. Several more countries must ratify the treaty before that happens. Until it does enter into force, some of the IMS monitoring stations operate 24 hours a day, but many do not.

U.S. officials have signed, but not yet ratified, the treaty, and it has helped develop the International Monitoring System, O'Brien said.

The IMS architects "were starting from scratch in the mid-1990s, and we had many years of experience in these kinds of systems," he said.

"So they came to us asking for any advice that would help them avoid the pitfalls of putting a new system in," the scientist added.

The experts at USAEDS advised the monitoring system builders on worldwide logistics involved in establishing such a system and onsite installations.

USAEDS contributes the data from many of its seismic and hydroacoustic stations to the International Monitoring System.

"Outside of the USAEDS," O'Brien said, "the United States through the Office of the Secretary of Defense contributes seismic, infrasound and radionuclide stations to the IMS."

As a signatory to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the United States is entitled to and receives all the data that the International Monitoring System produces.

"We participate in all their international meetings, and we have since (the system's) inception. They occasionally come here and visit," O'Brien said. "I think both the IMS and ourselves are right at the state of the art of any technology that is practical for use in detecting nuclear explosions."

Milcom Blog Extra: The Constant Phoenix WC-135 aircraft serves as an aerial collection platform for the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) at Patrick AFB, Florida, supporting the detection and identification of debris from nuclear weapons detonations. Two Constant Phoenix aircraft, a WC-135W (AF Serial Number 61-2667) and a WC-135C (AF Serial Number 62-3582) are currently assigned to the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. This mission was previously conducted by a WC-135W, AF Serial Number 61-2665, which was retired in September 1996. Previously, as many as ten WC-135B weather reconnaissance airplanes flew in support of weather analysis, nuclear detection, and other scientific research.

Army-Navy Joint Training Incident at Sea

NORFOLK (NNS) -- One service member is dead and eight are injured following a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter crash on the Navy fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8) at approximately 8:00 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 22, 20 nautical miles off the coast from Fort Story, Virginia.

The crash occurred during routine training operations involving the Army helicopter and members of an East Coast based Naval Special Warfare Unit.

Injured service members were evacuated from USNS Arctic by a second Army helicopter participating in the training and taken to a local Norfolk hospital for treatment.

USNS Arctic has returned to Naval Station Norfolk and the damaged helicopter remains onboard.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

McGuire Airmen support downed satellite cleanup task force

by Airman 1st Class Rebekah Phy, 305th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. (AFPN) -- McGuire Air Force Base members recently provided support for Joint Task Force Operation Burnt Frost to recover debris from a nonfunctional satellite shot down Feb. 20.

The Navy shot down the bus-sized satellite to dissipate approximately 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people before it entered into Earth's atmosphere.

Members of the 305th Services Squadron provided last-minute accommodations to JTF members while Airmen of the 305th Aerial Port Squadron loaded 65 tons of cargo. The 305th Communications Squadron members also provided an array of communications support to the team.

The JTF was formed to respond for recovery and consequence management operations if the satellite, or debris, fell to Earth. The JTF is comprised of more than 130 members from 15 agencies including members from all five services, a hydrazine response team, Environmental Protection Agency members, firefighters and hazardous materials experts.

"As an aerial porter, I'm involved in a lot of great missions, but this made history," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Berberick from the 305th APS.

"The JTF stood up in six days with members from around the country forming a response capability just days after the concept for the operation was conceived," said Army Brig. Gen. Jeff Horne, the JTF commander. "I've never seen a unit respond as well as this air base has to meet the needs of the joint force commander."

Officials Declare Satellite Mission Successful

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2008 – Based on debris analysis, officials are confident the Feb. 21 missile intercept and destruction of a nonfunctioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite was successful in destroying the fuel tank and reducing risk to people on Earth, the Defense Department announced today.
The satellite’s fuel tank contained hydrazine, a hazardous chemical that could have posed a risk to humans if the satellite or its fuel tank had reentered the atmosphere intact.

"By all accounts, this was a successful mission. From the debris analysis, we have a high degree of confidence the satellite's fuel tank was destroyed and the hydrazine has been dissipated," Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a DoD news release.

A single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 was fired from the USS Lake Erie to engage the satellite. Much of the debris from the satellite already has reentered the Earth’s atmosphere or will reenter in the coming days and weeks, officials said. The Joint Functional Component Command for Space at the Joint Space Operations Center, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., is tracking less than 3,000 pieces of debris, all smaller than a football, which have not yet reentered the atmosphere. To date, there have been no reports of debris landing on Earth, and it is unlikely any will remain intact to hit the ground, officials said.

Cartwright praised the collaborative effort from the U.S. government, armed forces, industry and academia to destroy the satellite and reduce risk to human life.

"The teamwork and interagency accomplishment associated with this operation was tremendous,” he said. “Close workings with the National Security Council, State Department, Defense Department, NASA, Missile Defense Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and Department of Homeland Security was absolutely key to the effort. The U.S. Navy, particularly the Pacific Fleet, was fundamental to the operation and did a superb job. The expertise of people from the U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Space Command and Army Strategic Command was invaluable."

U.S. Strategic Command space surveillance sensors continue to track and characterize the debris to ensure timely notifications are made, if necessary, with regard to debris-related risk on the ground or to objects in orbit, officials said.

Satellite Debris Analysis Indicates Hydrazine Tank Hit

The Department of Defense announced Feb. 25 that based on debris analysis, officials are confident the missile intercept and destruction of a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite, achieved the objective of destroying the hydrazine tank and reducing, if not eliminating, the risk from the hazardous chemical.

"By all accounts this was a successful mission. From the debris analysis, we have a high degree of confidence the satellite's fuel tank was destroyed and the hydrazine has been dissipated," said Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"The successful satellite engagement was truly a collaborative effort from across the U.S. government, the armed forces, industry and academia working together to reduce the risk to human life," said Cartwright.

"The teamwork and interagency accomplishment associated with this operation was tremendous," said Cartwright. "Close workings with the National Security Council, State Department, Defense Department, NASA, Missile Defense Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and Department of Homeland Security was absolutely key to the effort. The U.S. Navy, particularly the Pacific Fleet, was fundamental to the operation and did a superb job. The expertise of people from the U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Space Command and Army Strategic Command was invaluable."

A single modified tactical Standard Missile-3, fired from the USS Lake Erie (CG 70) was used to engage the satellite. The remaining two modified missiles will be configured back to their original status as tactical missiles and the operational computer software programs aboard the Aegis ships will be reinstalled.

The Joint Functional Component Command for Space Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., is tracking less than 3,000 pieces of debris, all smaller than a football. The vast majority of debris has already reentered or will shortly reenter the Earth's atmosphere in the coming days and weeks. To date, there have been no reports of debris landing on Earth and it is unlikely any will remain intact to impact the ground.

U.S. Strategic Command space surveillance sensors continue to track and characterize the debris to ensure timely notifications are made, if necessary, with regards to ground or on-orbit debris-related risk.

Lake Erie Crew Describes Satellite Shot

By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service

U.S. Navy Capt. Randall M. Hendrickson, commanding officer of the USS Lake Erie, describes the successful launch of a Standard Missile-3 at a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph over the Pacific Ocean, (Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley)

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, Feb. 24, 2008 – The crewmembers of the USS Lake Erie were calm as they fired the latest shot heard round the world. The Aegis-class cruiser fired the missile that destroyed a dead spy satellite that posed a threat to humans Feb 21.

Navy Capt. Randall M. Hendrickson, the Lake Erie’s commanding officer, spoke to reporters today aboard the ship, which has just returned from the mission. The visiting reporters are traveling with Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who visited the ship.

The captain said the crew worked intensively for a month and a half before the shootdown. “We kept working up with a team of government experts and technicians, as well as industry partners,” Hendrickson said.

The group worked to gather information and modify the Standard Missile 3 and the Aegis weapon system, he said. They started tracking the satellite at different times to get radar cross-section data, which helped build the program software, Hendrickson said.

“Obviously there was a lot of anticipation building up each time we practiced, each time we tracked,” he said.

The ship’s weapons systems officer, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Drew Bates, said the rehearsals really helped when push came to shove. “By the time we did this, we had seen it a hundred times,” he said. “We were practicing what to do in case things go wrong. Fortunately nothing went wrong. This went just the way it was designed to happen, and hats off to the industry team for giving the nation a system that was able to have the excess capability to do this.”

The satellite was unlike any target the system was designed to go after, the captain said. The satellite was in orbit rather than on a ballistic trajectory. Also, the satellite was traveling at incredible speeds.

The Lake Erie left here the day officials announced President Bush’s decision to try to shoot down the satellite. Hendrickson said the ship was in position when the shuttle Atlantis returned from its mission.

The ship received the order that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates had OK’d the mission at mid-morning on Feb. 21. “From that point on, the ship was very calm,” Hendrickson said. “Obviously, the closer we got, there was a lot of anticipation. The firing team was very calm when we did it and, with the exception of the ‘whoosh’ when it went out of the launcher, it was just as scripted.”

He said that when the missile’s seeker opened its eyes it had the satellite “right dead center.”

When the missile hit the satellite, “there was a lot of cheering” aboard the ship, he said.

The crew knew from the kinetic warhead imagery in the nose of the missile that it was a good hit, the captain said.

“The radar scope went wild,” he said. “At that point, there was a lot of debris, a lot of pieces and, at that point, we thought we had a pretty good impact. Then that was confirmed by the aircraft that were airborne, the radars ashore and some other sensors that it was pretty much obliterated. Over the next three to four hours, a lot of it was burning up as it was coming down, which was the whole point of it.”

Civilian experts from the Navy facility in Dahlgren, Va., and contractors from Lockheed Martin and from Raytheon Co. helped the crew prepare for the shot. But Navy sailors manned the consoles for the mission.

Everyone on the USS Lake Erie contributed, the captain said. “Whatever the task is, there’s no small task on a ship,” he said.

The reaction of the crew is unbelievable, said Command Master Chief Petty Officer Mack Ellis, the highest-ranking enlisted sailor on the Lake Erie. “Even the youngest sailor who didn’t understand it at first, every time they walk somewhere and people know they are from Lake Erie, they say congratulations. It puts a smile of their face and makes their day.”

Transparency of Satellite Shootdown Offers Model

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service


CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii, Feb. 21, 2008 - The way the United States handled the shootdown of a dead reconnaissance satellite last night offers a model of the transparency it encourages other countries more secretive about their military operations to adopt, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said today.
Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating pointed to the huge difference between last night's mission, aimed at destroying a satellite hurtling toward Earth, and the secret anti-satellite weapons test the Chinese conducted in January 2007.

"We've told people what we're going to do; we've told them how we're going to do it, and it's very open," Keating said.

The rationale behind the two missions was distinctly different, as well. President Bush decided to shoot down the satellite to preclude a danger to humans from hydrazine, a toxic fuel that would have been used to steer the satellite had it worked. The Chinese test, in contrast, was designed to test an anti-satellite weapon.

To carry out its mission, the U.S. fired a modified Standard Missile 3. The Chinese, in contrast, fired a specially designed anti-satellite weapon.

Keating told reporters he hopes the Chinese will learn from the U.S. model. "We would hope that they can see how to do an operation like this, emphasizing the transparency, emphasizing clear intentions, realizing --that while we don't have press embedded on the ship -- everybody knows what's going on," he said. "The Chinese did not do that when they launched their anti-satellite test. We hope there are some lessons that become apparent to them."

U.S. defense officials have long encouraged China and other nations around the world to be more transparent about their military operations. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates encouraged more openness during his visit to China in November.

Keating visited China in January in an effort to bolster the two countries' military relationship and promote improved communication. He told Pentagon reporters in November that solid communication between the United States and China will help reduce the potential for misunderstanding. This will leave "less room for confusion that could lead to confrontation, to crisis," he said.

"That's our goal," he said. "To get there, we reduce the chance for misunderstanding."

DoD on USA 193 debris watch

The U.S. military is watching for falling debris or hazardous material that could fall on populated areas following the successful shootdown of a damaged spy satellite, (Video courtesy of the Pentagon and Pentagon Channel)

If you want a popup media player click here Gen Cartwright/Satellite Debris

Navy Missile Likely Hit Fuel Tank on Disabled Satellite

By Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service

The USS Lake Erie launches a Standard Missile-3 at a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph over the Pacific Ocean on Feb. 20, 2008. (Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2008 - The missile fired from a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific Ocean that hit a malfunctioning U.S. reconnaissance satellite late yesterday likely accomplished its goal of destroying the satellite's toxic fuel tank, a senior U.S. military officer said here today.

Preliminary reports indicate the SM-3 missile struck its primary target, which was a tank full of toxic hydrazine rocket fuel carried aboard the 5,000-pound satellite, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.

"The intercept occurred. ... We're very confident that we hit the satellite," Cartwright said. "We also have a high degree of confidence that we got the tank."

Video shown to reporters depicts the satellite exploding at the point of contact with the missile. Cartwright said the visible fireball and the vapor cloud or plume around it suggest that the fuel tank was hit and the hydrazine had burned up.

"The high-definition imagery that we have indicates that we hit the spacecraft right in the area of the tank," Cartwright said.

However, he added, it probably would take another 24 to 48 hours of sifting through data "to get to a point where we are very comfortable with our analysis that we indeed breached the tank."

Radar sweeps of the satellite's debris field thus far show that no parts larger than a football survived the strike, Cartwright said. Post-strike surveillance shows satellite debris falling into the atmosphere above the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, he said. Small remnants are likely to burn up in the atmosphere, never making it to the Earth's surface.

The U.S. State Department has provided updates on the situation to its embassies around the world, Cartwright noted. There are no reports of debris reaching the Earth, he said, adding that consequence-management crews are on standby to respond to such a circumstance, if required.

The SM-3 missile was launched by the USS Lake Erie, positioned northwest of Hawaii, at 10:26 p.m. EST yesterday, Cartwright said. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who is on an overseas trip, gave the go-ahead to fire, Cartwright said.

The missile intercepted the satellite about 153 nautical miles above the Earth, just before it began to enter the atmosphere, Cartwright said. Joint Space Operations Center technicians at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif, confirmed the satalitte's breakup about 24 minutes later.

The National Reconnaissance Office-managed satellite malfunctioned soon after it was launched in 2006, making it unresponsive to ground control. The satellite, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes or so, was expected to fall to Earth in February or March with its tank of hydrazine intact, possibly endangering human populations.

President Bush directed the Defense Department to engage the satellite just before it entered the atmosphere. U.S. officials decided to shoot down the satellite because of the danger posed by the hazardous hydrazine, Cartwright explained, noting the goal was for the missile to hit and rupture the tank of rocket fuel, causing the hydrazine to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, along with debris from the stricken satellite.

"So, you can imagine at the point of intercept last night there were a few cheers from people who have spent many days working on this project," Cartwright said.

DoD Video of the USA 193 Shoot Down

Here is gun sight video from the Navy of the shoot down last night of the NRO spy satellite USA 193. (Video courtesy of DoD).

If you prefer a popup media player click on this link
Missile Intercept

Pentagon Briefing on the USA 193 Shoot Down

Gen James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provides further information related to the successful operation intercepting a non-functioning satellite.

You can click on the player above or the link below to watch video and audio of a Pentagon Briefing held this morning at 7:00 am EST by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright on the US Navy shoot down of NROL-21/USA 193. USA 193 was a new generation NRO Radar imaging satellite that was launched in December 2006 and failed within a few hours of its launch from the Western Test Range.

You can get a written transcript of the presser above at http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4151

Gates Pleased by Mission's Success

By Fred W. Baker III, American Forces Press Service

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright (left), and Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England follow the progress of a Standard Missile-3 as it races toward a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite in space over the Pacific Ocean on Feb. 20, 2008. (Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump)

HONOLULU, Feb. 21, 2008 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was pleased when he learned a U.S. Navy missile hit the crippled spy satellite that was falling out of orbit and threatening to spill its toxic rocket fuel upon re-entry.

Defense officials could not immediately confirm that the fuel tank had been hit, and said they hope to know for sure by late tonight.

At 5:35 p.m. in Hawaii (10:35 p.m. EST), Gates received a call from Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright and U.S. Strategic Command Commander Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton delivering the news that the mission was a success, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.

“The secretary was obviously very pleased to learn that, and he congratulated General Cartwright and General Chilton, as well as their teams, on a job well done,” Morrell said.

At about 1:40 p.m. EST yesterday, while en route to Hawaii from Washington, Gates held a conference call with the two generals and was told the conditions were “ripe” for an attempt. That is when the secretary gave the go-ahead for the Navy to take the shot, and he wished them luck in their attempt, Morrell said.

At about 10:26 p.m. EST, a U.S. Navy Aegis warship, the USS Lake Erie, fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile 3, hitting the satellite about 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph, according to a Defense Department statement.

The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the roughly 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel that could pose a danger to people on Earth.

“The secretary, like all of us, is standing by to learn more how successful the intercept was,” Morrell said. “After all, the goal here was not just to hit the satellite. The goal here was to hit and destroy the fuel tank to eliminate it as potential danger to those of us here on Earth.”

Because of the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris would have started re-entering the earth's atmosphere immediately, officials said, and nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within two days.

Should any large pieces of the satellite’s debris make it to Earth, special teams are on alert and positioned within the U.S. Pacific Command, Navy. Adm. Timothy J. Keating, PACOM commander, told reporters traveling with the secretary shortly after Gates landed here.

“(The teams are there) to lend assistance should parts of the satellite survive the missile impact and hit,” he said. “We don’t think the hydrazine container is going to hit. That’s why we’re shooting at it. But if it does, we’re prepared to assist with specially trained teams that are on alert at various places throughout our area of responsibility.”

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also spoke to reporters here and said the shoot-down does not threaten any country and is not a new space race with any country.

"What we've tried to do from the beginning was be as open as possible about the intention," the chairman said during a news conference at Hickam Air Force Base. "We are taking the shot at what we hope will be an altitude that will minimize the amount of space debris that will occur. We've engaged governments throughout the world to tell them what our intentions are. We have been very transparent, very open in that regard."

The admiral made a point that the Navy's Standard Missile 3 had to be modified to fly the mission at all, and that it would be used only in this kind of emergency response to similar potential dangers.

Gates stopped in Hawaii on the first leg of a nine-day trip around the world aimed at reinforcing relationships with some countries he has yet to visit as defense secretary. In addition to U.S. Pacific Command here, the secretary will participate in annual bilateral talks with Australia, and discuss security matters with his counterparts in Indonesia, India and Turkey.

(Jim Garamone of American Forces Press Service contributed to this story.)


Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James E. Cartwright, U.S. Marine Corps, informs Secretary of Defense Robert Gates of the successful missile intercept from the Pentagon’s National Military Command Center on Feb. 20, 2008. The USS Lake Erie (CG 70) launched the missile at the satellite as it orbited in space at more than 17,000 mph over the Pacific. The objective was to rupture the satellite’s fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people on earth, before it entered into earth's atmosphere. (DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump)

Possible USA 193 Debris Observed at Prince George BC

Via Eric Briggs and the SEESAT-L newsgroup - A message posted on the mailing list of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada says in part:

"at approx. 19:43 PDT while observing the lunar eclipse at the PGAO (53 45' 29" N 122 50' 56" W) a group of >about 30 people, PG Centre members and public, witnessed what we assume was the demise of the spy satellite USA 193.

"Many debris trails were witnessed moving from south-west to north-east at high altitude. One was especially >bright and long lasting. I can recall about 6 bright trails and 15 fainter ones.

"The debris trails seemed to come in "waves" with the first wave being brighter than the debris that followed >behind it. The trails seemed to be in a fan shape with the trails being wider apart in the north-east than they >were in the south-est."

Brian Battersby, Prince George Centre RASC

Navy Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite

Fire Controlman 2nd Class Andrew Jackson, a native of Ray Town, Mo., launches a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) from the Combat Information Center aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70). (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Hight)

A network of land-, air-, sea- and spaced-based sensors confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the earth's atmosphere.

At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST, Feb. 20, a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite approximately 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force.

At a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) launches from the U.S. Navy AEGIS cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), successfully impacting a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean, as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. (U.S. Navy photo)

The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could be harmful, before it entered into earth's atmosphere. Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours.

Due to the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris will begin to re-enter the earth's atmosphere immediately. Nearly all of the debris will burn up on reentry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days.

DoD will conduct a press briefing at 7 a.m. EST to provide further information related to the operation. The briefing can be viewed live on www.Defenselink.com through the Pentagon Channel.

At a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) launches from the U.S. Navy AEGIS cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), successfully impacting a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite.

Pentagon Opens Window of Time to Shoot Down Satellite

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2008 – The Pentagon has opened the window of time in which it will shoot down a malfunctioning U.S. reconnaissance satellite, a senior U.S. military officer said here today.

Today’s return of the space shuttle Atlantis to Earth prompted the start of the optimal time period for shooting down the satellite, which extends until about the end of the month, the senior officer told Pentagon reporters.

Only “tens of seconds” will be available each day for a favorable launch of a ship-based SM-3 interceptor missile, the senior officer said. “The window is small, … but we’re looking for the best orientation of the satellite” before launching the missile, the officer explained.

The 5,000-pound satellite malfunctioned soon after it was launched in 2006, making it unresponsive to ground control. It is carrying a tank full of hydrazine, a toxic rocket fuel. The satellite, orbiting every 90 minutes or so, was expected to fall to Earth in February or March with its tank of hydrazine intact, possibly endangering human populations.

President Bush directed the Defense Department to engage the satellite just before it enters the atmosphere at about 150 miles above the Earth. The goal is for the missile to hit and rupture the tank of rocket fuel, causing the hydrazine to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, along with debris from the stricken satellite.

About 50 percent of debris produced by the missile strike is expected to burn up during the stricken satellite’s first two orbits after being hit, the senior military officer said, with the rest burning up shortly after.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is to give the order to launch, based upon commanders’ recommendations, the senior officer said. Gates will be advised as to the optimal time to launch by the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, based at Offutt Air Force Base, in Omaha, Neb.

All space sensor and missile-tracking activity related to the missile launch is being coordinated by the Joint Space Operations Center, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Sensors, such as large radars and telescopes, are being coordinated by the Joint Integrated Missile Defense Team in Colorado Springs, Colo., under the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command.

Three U.S. Navy ships -- the cruiser USS Lake Erie and the destroyers USS Decatur and USS Russell -- are posted in the Pacific Ocean waiting for an optimal time to launch, the senior officer said. The Erie is slated to shoot at the satellite, and it is fitted with two SM-3 missiles. The Decatur has one, and the Russell has none. The missiles were modified to carry additional sensor equipment for the mission, the senior officer said.

The launch will be conducted during daytime over the Pacific, the senior officer explained, so that all sensors involved can better track the results of the missile launch. Necessary criteria for launch include satisfactory alignment of all pre-launch sensor-supplied data, as well as favorable weather conditions, he said.

Currently, the wave height about the ships is unfavorable to launch, the officer said. However, this and other conditions are subject to change, he added.

USA 193 Shoot Down for Today Probably Cancelled

Several news agencies are reporting that the attempt to shoot down USA 193 by the US Navy has been postponed for today due to bad weather (high seas) in the operations area. The next attempt could occur tommorrow evening (see my http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2008/02/usa-193-shoot-down-set-for-thursday.html).

And a new NOTAM has been issued for a possible shoot down on Friday. Here is that NOTAM:

02/075 (A0041/08) - AIRSPACE CARF NR. 93 ON EVELYN STATIONARY RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 3145N/17012W 2824N/16642W 2352N/16317W 1909N/16129W 1241N/16129W 1239N/16532W 1842N/17057W 2031N/17230W 2703N/17206W SFC-UNL. 23 FEB 02:30 2008 UNTIL 23 FEB 05:00 2008. CREATED: 20FEB 14:21 2008

One insider says that DoD has a ten day period (which opened today) in which to get this job done. There is basically one shooting window a day they can use. More are available, but the others are not good for debris containment.

USA 193 Shoot Down Update - 2/19/2007 at 0941 EST

Our good friend John Locker has checked in again this morning with the latest update on the shootdown of USA 193/NROL-21. According to John the third US Navy warship involved in this operation may be the USS Russell (DDG-59) based out of Pearl Harbor.

John and I agree that DoD will probably issue a new NOTAM each day until they have a successful shootdown. John says looking at future satellite predictions for USA 193 we will have a window for a shootdown for at least five days. Below is a graphic courtesy of John for the Thursday shootdown attempt.

Image above subject to copyright restrictions. Copyright ©2008 by John Locker. Used with permission of the author. Click on graphic to animate.

Window to Open for Satellite Shoot-Down, Gates to Issue Order

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2008 – The anticipated landing tomorrow of the space shuttle Atlantis will open the window of opportunity for the U.S. military to shoot down a dying intelligence satellite headed toward Earth, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
President Bush has authorized Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to give the shoot-down order, and the secretary received a briefing on the plan today, Morrell said. The secretary is prepared to make that call from the road, if necessary, during his nine-day, around-the-world trip that begins tomorrow, he said.

Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters last week the window of opportunity for shooting down the satellite would last seven or eight days.

“We have a pretty wide aperture with which to take this shot,” Morrell said today. “I think the commanders that are evaluating this are looking at all the conditions that could impact this to make sure that when we do take this shot, it can be as successful as possible.”

Cartwright, Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and other experts across the military and U.S. government “are evaluating the situation and will advise the secretary when they have a shot to take,” Morrell said.

Pentagon officials began studying the situation in early January when it become clear that a malfunctioning U.S. spy satellite could cause death or injury if it fell in a populated area. Of particular concern is that the satellite could release hydrazine, a toxic chemical used as a maneuvering fuel.

A Pentagon plan was put together to strike the incoming satellite just above the atmosphere, rupturing the hydrazine tank in the process.

All systems appear to be “go” for the launch order. The Navy has prepared for the mission by modifying three SM-3 missiles aboard Aegis ships to strike the satellite, Cartwright said last week.

The international community has been informed of the mission and why it’s being conducted, Morrell said. “So I think everybody is up to date on what our thinking is and what our course of action is going to be, and we will keep them apprised of how it develops over the coming days,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration today issued a 24-hour notice warning aircraft and ships to steer clear of the projected shoot-down zone in the Pacific. New warnings will be issued every 24 hours during the anticipated shoot-down window, Morrell said.

The Pentagon will issue a written statement within an hour of the launch and will hold a news conference regarding the effort within the following hours, Morrell told reporters. “We can probably tell you at that point whether or not there has been an intercept,” but not necessarily if it destroyed the fuel tank, he said. “That may require some additional time,” he acknowledged.

Cartwright and other commanders associated with the mission “have a high confidence this engagement will indeed be successful, and I think Secretary Gates shares that confidence,” Morrell told reporters.

Morrell emphasized that the mission isn’t designed to test U.S. anti-satellite capabilities. “We did that in 1985. Been there, done that,” he said.

“This operation is designed to alleviate a threat to human beings on this planet. There is a large tank of hydrazine fuel onboard that satellite that would pose a significant threat to people within the immediate vicinity of it if it were to hit land,” Morrell said. “So not wishing to take that risk, the president has asked -- ordered -- this department to shoot down that satellite.

“And that is what we are now evaluating,” he continued, “and that is what the secretary will decide to do, based upon the advice of the commanders.”

USA 193 Shoot Down Set for Thursday or Friday UTC?

The US Department of Defense has issued a couple of NOTAMs out of the Honolulu ARTCC that may indicate when the US Navy is going to attempt a shootdown of the NRO Spy Satellite USA 193. The USS Lake Erie CG-70 and USS Decatur DDG-73 are set to perform the mission using the Navy has modified three SM-3 missiles aboard Aegis ships to strike the satellite, said Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Navy wants to intercept the satellite at a point just above the atmosphere so there would be a high likelihood of bringing it down in an unpopulated area. An intercept also would rupture the hydrazine tank. The vice chairman would not say exactly where the ships would fire from, only saying it will be from the northern hemisphere and the Pacific Ocean.

The first operational opportunity is detailed in this NOTAM:

02/062 (A0038/08) - AIRSPACE CARF NR. 90 ON EVELYN STATIONARY RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 3145N 17012W 2824N 16642W 2352N 16317W 1909N 16129W 1241N 16129W 1239N 16532W 1842N 17057W 2031N 17230W 2703N 17206W SFC-UNL. 21 FEB 02:30 2008 UNTIL 21 FEB 05:00 2008. CREATED: 18 FEB 12:51 2008

Based on this NOTAM the shootdown will occur on 21 Feb 2008 between 0230-0500 UTC or 20 feb 2008, Wednesday evening 2130-2400 EST.

Using the NOTAM above and the latest TLE Ted Molzcan has plotted a possible shootdown scenario and placed that into a PDF at http://satobs.org/seesat_ref/06057A/USA_193_NOTAM_unverified.pdf.

That diagram is also presented below. Looks like the actual first shootdown attempt of USA 193 will occur around 21 Feb 2008 at 0330 UTC (20 Feb 2008 2230 EST).

USA 193 Shootdown plot courtesy of Ted Mozcan and the SEESAT-L newsgroup.

The benefit of a shootdown during this pass, is that if anything does come down, it will do so over the barren Canadian Arctic rather than over populated area. You can see that track on a satplot displayed on Dr. Marco Langbroek satrackcam blog at
http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2008/01/usa-193-imminent-decay-in-news.html.

Our good friend John Locker has just passed along a second NOTAM that I have reposted below.

02/067 (A0708/08) - AIRSPACE STATIONARY RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 3145N / 17012W, 2824N / 16642W, 2352N / 16317W, 1909N / 16129W, 1241N / 16129W, 1239N / 16532W, 1842N / 17057W, 2031N / 17230W, 2703N / 17206W SFC-UNL. 22 FEB 02:30 2008 UNTIL 22 FEB 05:00 2008. CREATED: 19 FEB 12:30 2008

This is exactly 24 hours later than the first attempt. So based on this NOTAM the 2nd attempt at a USA 193 shootdown will occur on 22 Feb 2008 between 0230-0500 UTC or 21 Feb 2008, Thursday evening 2130-2400 EST if the first attempt is not successful.

For visual observers the latest TLE elset from Ted Molzcan and the SEESAT-L group follows:

USA 193 5.0 2.5 0.0 4.3 v 250 X 257 km
1 29651U 06057A 08049.03290930 .00227439 00000-0 27958-3 0 02
2 29651 58.5131 39.7259 0005095 99.1484 261.0195 16.07330305 09
Arc 2008 Feb 11.46 - 18.04, WRMS residuals = 0.1 deg

Rate of altitude decrease is about 1.3 km/d (kilometres per day).Using the above elements and a 10.7 cm solar flux of 70, Satevo v0.51 estimatesdecay from orbit on 2008 March 15. The uncertainty is at least several days.Definition of 2-line elements format:http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/SSOP

US diplomat says USA 193 will reenter March 6

Courtesy of Allen Thomson, SEESAT-L and Space Daily:
http://www.spacedaily.com/2006/080215154433.84uvtddv.html

"An out-of-commission US spy satellite will enter the Earth's atmosphere on or around March 6 if Washington fails with its plans to shoot it down, a top US diplomat said on Friday.

"If the engagement fails, the satellite is expected to make an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere on or about 6 March 2008 in any region on the Earth's surface between 58.5 degrees North and 58.5 degrees South latitudes," said Christina Rocca, US ambassador to the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament (CD)."

This is considerably off from predictions that have been posted on SEESAT-L that have been derived by the SATEVO software package.