I really hope these 100lb heads can make this shot! I mean I am really really hoping they get it...stay tuned!
High-powered team planned satellite strategy
How the satellite shootdown would work
Key aspects of the plan for intercepting the broken spy satellite:
— A single missile, of a type known as the Standard Missile 3, would be launched from a Navy ship at sea. The missile was originally designed to intercept a ballistic missile in flight, not a spacecraft, so the missile and its associated software have been modified.
— Ideally, the missile will strike the satellite directly just before it re-enters Earth's atmosphere, breaking it into small pieces that will mostly fall through the atmosphere rather than become space debris.
— If the first shot misses, a second attempt may be made.
— A "window of opportunity" for hitting the satellite has been calculated to begin in three or four days. It could last as long as eight days. The Pentagon did not announce the exact date of an intercept attempt.
— The decision to proceed was made by President Bush.
— Diplomatic notice was sent to other countries.
— In 14 test flights, the Standard Missile 3 has achieved 12 intercepts, most recently in December.
— There are three Navy cruisers equipped with the missile.
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