The little spy satellite that couldn't
Mar. 1st, 2008 07:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dracodraconisLast week's news was filled with the lead-up and fall-out to the U.S.'s $60 million duck-shoot of it's own failed spy satellite, but there is more to this story according to Wired magazine. Specifically, the satellite, known as USA-193, is believed to be part of the doomed Future Imagery Architecture (FIA) program. Boeing was originally contracted back in 1999 to build the first of a constellation of small satellites to gather information on enemy activities. Six years and $10 billion (US) later, the FIA was nowhere in sight and the program was $4 billion over-budget. Lockheed took over in 2005, costing the Pentagon another $500 million in termination fees, and by 2006 the USA-193 was launched but died soon after when its on-board computer failed repeated attempts to reboot.
This brings us to 2008 with a satellite-turned-space-debris worth $10.5 billion(US) has finally decided to come back to roost. The White House deemed the satellite a danger, at least officially, and decided to put another $60 million(US) into shooting it down. At 10:26 p.m. EST on February 20th, the satellite, now travelling at 17,000 mph was shoot down at an altitude of 247 km with a modified SM-3 missile, worth an estimated $9.5 million(US). The whole thing was even captured on video and released to the waiting public on YouTube. Officials announced shortly thereafter that the 2,300 kg satellite was destroyed with the debris posing no risk to those of us on earth, particularly the 450 kg of toxic hydrazine that it carried.
So why does it cost $60 million to shoot down a satellite? Well, two warships, each with a modified SM-3 were on standby in case the first one missed. With each missile worth $9.5 million, the cost in armaments alone could have been as high as $30 million. As it turned out, only one was needed. Each of these missiles was originally designed to hit other missiles, not a satellite that travels at about twice the speed of a missile. Also, they were designed as heat-seekers but this won't work to track a satellite. As a result, new sensors had to be installed and new software written to control it, requiring the expertise of about 200 people. The original system worked 80% of the time in testing, but this time the missile had to hit it first time out, with results being broadcast around the globe, and they had only a 10 second window within which to acquire the target and launch. Now add in keeping three warships on alert, as well as tracking the satellite, and it's easy to add another $30 million to the price tag.
As a side note, the debris caused by the distruction of this spy satellite resulted in the February 29th launch of it's successor being delayed for approximately two weeks until March 11th. No word on what that cost.
This brings us to 2008 with a satellite-turned-space-debris worth $10.5 billion(US) has finally decided to come back to roost. The White House deemed the satellite a danger, at least officially, and decided to put another $60 million(US) into shooting it down. At 10:26 p.m. EST on February 20th, the satellite, now travelling at 17,000 mph was shoot down at an altitude of 247 km with a modified SM-3 missile, worth an estimated $9.5 million(US). The whole thing was even captured on video and released to the waiting public on YouTube. Officials announced shortly thereafter that the 2,300 kg satellite was destroyed with the debris posing no risk to those of us on earth, particularly the 450 kg of toxic hydrazine that it carried.
So why does it cost $60 million to shoot down a satellite? Well, two warships, each with a modified SM-3 were on standby in case the first one missed. With each missile worth $9.5 million, the cost in armaments alone could have been as high as $30 million. As it turned out, only one was needed. Each of these missiles was originally designed to hit other missiles, not a satellite that travels at about twice the speed of a missile. Also, they were designed as heat-seekers but this won't work to track a satellite. As a result, new sensors had to be installed and new software written to control it, requiring the expertise of about 200 people. The original system worked 80% of the time in testing, but this time the missile had to hit it first time out, with results being broadcast around the globe, and they had only a 10 second window within which to acquire the target and launch. Now add in keeping three warships on alert, as well as tracking the satellite, and it's easy to add another $30 million to the price tag.
As a side note, the debris caused by the distruction of this spy satellite resulted in the February 29th launch of it's successor being delayed for approximately two weeks until March 11th. No word on what that cost.