The US pentagon has announced that the failed reconnaissance satellite speculated around the web to be USA-193/NROL-21 is to be shot down to prevent a possible atmospheric discharge of nearly half a ton of hydrazine monopropellant contained on board.
The ’spy’ satellite, speculatively identified by satellite tracking enthusiasts across the world as USA-193 apparently failed to deploy correctly when it was launched back in December 2006. It would have been in a gradually decaying, uncontrolled orbit thereafter.
US officials say that they will use a RIM-131 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) to destroy USA-193 before it enters the atmosphere so that the hydrazine propellant will be dispersed safely in space. The SM-3 is a fairly hefty 4-stage missile and part of the Aegis Anti Ballistic Missile System. The missile will be fired from an Aegis cruiser or destroyer. US President George Bush has given approval for one missile to be fired but a further two Aegis ships will be standing-by downrange. In case of a miss by the first ship, a decision will be made on whether or not to fire again from one of the other ships.
General James Cartwright, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the optimum time frame for the destruction of the satellite would be in a window opening for about one week beginning in four days time. If successful, the satellite would be reduced to small components of debris which would largely burn up on re-entry.
I haven’t been able to find out yet what altitude the satellite will be traveling at yet (perhaps the orbit tracking buffs will come up with it) but with the DoD already playing down any similarities with China’s recent destruction of a satellite with an ASAT missile, it’s possible that it may be over the 100km mark and that could mean a curfuffle with Russia, China and the UN over the outerspace treaty which bans the use of weapons in space.
In the mean time, mind your heads 
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