ASAT: Test Was Sat

The test of the missile was successful. The Navy hit the satellite target.

Shame, though, on the New York Times for printing both this line as fact: "The goal of the mission wais (sic) to prevent the fuel tank from reaching Earth and spilling its hazardous contents in a populous area." The article also printed this denial without challenge: "Pentagon spokesman, Bryan Whitman, dismissed suggestions that the operation had been designed to test the nation’s missile defense systems or antisatellite capabilities or that the effort had been to destroy secret intelligence equipment."

Satellites and rocket stages have been falling from orbit for half a century. I know of no one on the ground who has been injured or killed by falling space garbage. Space Shuttle Columbia, which was designed to re-enter the atmosphere, shredded on re-entry a few years ago and nobody on the ground was injured.

McClatchey got much closer to the truth with this line: "The mission was considered a major, if unplanned, test of America 's anti-ballistic missile program." The Washington Post also was somewhat skeptical of the rationale, as was the Times of London.

If I wanted to get the White House propaganda line, I'd either read their press releases or watch Faux News. The New York Times story was an example of being asleep at the switch.

UPDATE: MSNBC has pointed out that the risk of being hit by space debris is one in a trillion, which makes buying a ticket in tomorrow's $270 million Mega Millions drawing look like a sure thing in comparison.