Broken spy satellite destroyed by US missile

Various: The US has successfully hit USA 193, a 3-ton out-of-control spy satellite that failed 1.5 days after its launch in December 2006. Earlier this week the US announced plans to destroy the satellite because of the risk to humans over the toxic fuel the satellite was carrying. In a press conference held after the collision, General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that he was very confident that they had hit the satellite and that the hydrazine fuel tank was destroyed. "Thus far we've seen nothing larger than a football among the debris," he said. At least 552 pieces of the satellite have been spotted by amateur satellite watchers.

The decision to destroy the satellite has caused controversy within the public arms control community and by the Russian and Chinese governments, because of the low-risk associated with the public coming into contact with parts of the satellite. China is calling on the US to release more information about debris from the strike, and Russian diplomats are calling the incident a anti-satellite weapons test, a charge denied by US government officials. China tested its own anti-satellite weapon early last year, an action that was publicly protested by the US.

Earlier this week the US refused to discuss a proposed treaty by China and Russia to ban space-based anti-satellite weapons. According to Liu Jianchao, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, "The Chinese side is continuing to closely follow the US action, which may influence the security of outer space and may harm other countries." Bruce W. MacDonald and Charles D. Ferguson say that the action taken over USA 193, may lead to a new arms race.