BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
21/02/2008
Belarus says U.S. tests space weapon by shooting spy satellite
MOSCOW, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Belarus said on Thursday that the United States' shooting-down of a out-of-control spy satellite was a test of space weapon, according to reports reaching here.
A single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), launched from U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), hit the satellite some 247 kilometers over the Pacific Ocean at 10:26 p.m. EST Wednesday (0326 GMT Thursday), Pentagon said in a written statement midnight Wednesday.
"A network of land-, air-, sea- and space-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," the Pentagon said.
"The cruiser that launched the missile has participated in a number of missile tests, and here they have got a perfect opportunity to conduct a real launch," RIA news agency cited Belarus Defense Minister Leonid Maltsev as saying.
The satellite, launched in Dec. 2006, lost power and its central computer failed almost immediately afterward, leaving it uncontrollable.
Left alone, the satellite would be expected to hit earth during the first week of March.
U.S. military and administration officials said the satellite is carrying fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday it would closely monitor the consequences of the operation.
"We will study the results of this operation ... The satellite's trajectory was far from Russia and the Russian Federation was not threatened by the hit," said deputy Air Force commander Anatoly Nogovitsyn.
Source:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/22/content_7644550.htm
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