Satellite Shoot Down

As reported in this blog, a dead U. S. spy satellite is expected to return to Earth in early March; it would likely crash somewhere in North America. According to reports, the Bush administration has decided to use a specially designed Navy missile to shoot down the satellite before it enters the atmosphere. Such a course would add to the space debris problem in Earth orbit, at least over the short term, but the objective clearly is to keep a large chunk of the car-sized satellite from doing damage on Earth.

The shoot down would come at an inreresting time. As reported only yesterday in this blog, Russia and China are pushing a treaty that would ban weapons in space. The U. S. is resisting, arguing the treaty as written is really aimed at American weapons. Showing the capability to shoot down satellites, the Bush administration may only strengthen the hands of the Russians and the Chinese. On the other hand, a little more than a year ago, China demonstrated is own ability to destroy satellites in orbit, and its been assumed for years that Russia and the U. S. had that capability.

Those who want to ban weapons from space should perhaps broaden their agenda. The only way to finally keep weapons out of space may be to develop means and strategies to avoid war on Earth. Once wars begin, nations have a tendency to do whatever the leadership thinks it needs to do to prevail, prior treaties notwithstanding.