Posted: Thu, Feb 14, 2008, 1:04 PM ET (1804 GMT)
The US military is making plans to fire missiles at a defunct reconnaissance satellite in a decaying orbit, the AP reported Thursday. The satellite, known as USA 193 and NROL-21, was launched in late 2006 but failed almost immediately after reaching orbit; last month government officials said the satellite's orbit was decaying and they expected that the satellite would reenter in late February or early March. According to the AP, the Navy will fire 2 or 3 SM-3 missiles from a ship near Hawaii, destroying the spacecraft before it could reenter. The effect this would have on the amount of orbital debris in low Earth orbit was not specified in the report. Some officials had expressed concern that, if the satellite was allowed to reenter naturally, pieces of the spacecraft, some of which could contain sensitive technologies, could reach the surface. A press conference is scheduled for Thursday afternoon to provide more details on the plan.

Related Links:

•  AP article
•  Washington Post article