Canadians, Get Your Hardhats Out!!!

Feb

19th

2008

Found these articles about an attempt by the US Navy at shooting down a satellite on Wednesday. It looks to “take the bullet” somewhere over the skies around Hawaii, but the satellite will actually fall into the atmosphere over Canada.
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/02/sat-shoot-down.html

http://alan.clegg.com/node/63

As an engineer, I find the act of shooting a satellite amazing considering the speed of the target and relative small size. It’s not like the Navy can blow some buckshot into the atmosphere and hope it hits the right object. The second article estimates the satellite will be traveling at around 17,000 mph. The Navy is going to have to lead that just a little bit.

I suppose the technology has been around for a while (i.e. Star Wars of the Regan era), but it’s still neat to see it put into action.

To my three readers in Canada, walk a little low tomorrow night.

Comments

4 Responses to “Canadians, Get Your Hardhats Out!!!”

Jack Lord on February 20th, 2008 10:16 am

So what you’re saying is that while we enjoy the rare total eclipse of the Moon tonight, we should view it from our bunkers?
Phil on February 20th, 2008 10:19 am

As one of the three Canuck readers, damn it, I was going to go out into the minus 28 celsius (-18f (?)) night and watch the lunar eclipse! Screw that! I’ll spend the night in the basement watching hockey. Wish I could warn the other two….
Viajero Perdido on February 20th, 2008 1:00 pm

I got the message, thanks. I’ll let the last one know when he gets in from his hockey game. (Keep your helmet on, eh!)

Check out the KMZ file on the second site if you have Google Earth. It shows the satellite’s tracks pointing right at, well pretty close to my house. Yikes!
John on February 20th, 2008 1:33 pm

Hmmm, Canada is a very large piece of property, what are the chances that this thing will land in my hot tub when I’m watching the eclipse?