Spy Sat Shot Down: Let the arms race begin!
Last night, the U.S. Navy successfully shot down the defunct satellite US-193. The missile that was launched, an SM-3, made a direct hit on the satellite’s hydrazine fuel tank, effectively neutralizing the worrisome threat that the government has been claiming was the reason for the strike.
While I think that this was a right decision from a safety standpoint, this test could have serious implications on the world stage. Many fear that this could cause an already likely arms race in space to heat up and eventually lead to the weaponization of space. While I wouldn’t take it that far, this could jeopardize an already fragile, but burgeoning commercial spaceflight industry. If nations like the United States, Russia, and particularly China (who conducted an anti-satellite test (ASAT) last year) continue to test their missiles on satellites, we could be in for something much more serious than the chemical fallout from a spy satellite.
If the worst fears are realized, weapons in space could be a common occurrence thus influencing future manned and unmanned activities around Earth and perhaps even the solar system. There is a reason why 8 of the 14 top stories on SPACE.com’s home page are related to this satellite shoot-down. Even the single article on the successful landing of the Space Shuttle yesterday is tainted with comments from the astronauts and their feelings about the satellite being shot down. NASA also needed to set up additional landing sites to make sure the shuttle was on the ground before the “ASAT.”
Although the “ASAT” did provide quite a show for observers in Hawaii. Quite a treat to have a lunar eclipse and falling satellite debris on the same night!