US satellite with toxic payload to be shot down over Ireland!!!

Damomanye

i nearly choked on my cornflakes this morning when i read this...

The Pentagon is planning to shoot down a satellite orbiting over Ireland with a missile from a US navy warship

We have modified three SM-3 missiles aboard Aegis ships to strike the satellite," said James E Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.He predicts a fairly high chance - as much as 80 percent - of hitting the satellite, which will be about 150 miles up when the shot is fired.

"We'll take one shot and assess," he said. "This is the first time we've used a tactical missile to engage a spacecraft."

Astronomy enthusiasts say that debris could land anywhere from Co Cork to Co Donegal. Satellite trackers say that the 5,000lb craft, about the size of a small bus, travels on an orbit of 58.5 degrees that takes it over most of the Earth from Ireland and the tip of Scotland to Patagonia at the southern end of Latin America.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3434509.ece


Excuse me while build a bunker..

Archeron

I'm going to catch all the pieces in a net and sell them to the Chinese.

I knew my chance to be an evil Bond style villain would come eventually.

humanji

My understanding of it is that the satellite is going to fall in Ireland anyway. If they shoot it down, they can at least try and get it to land somewhere safe.

Anyway, there's nothing to be worried about. From all the films I've seen, the only thing that can happen to you is that'll you'll get superhuman powers. So it's not all bad.

gerTheGreat

I suspect the toxic story is BS. That said, you have to wonder what the f*ck is on that satellite if they are willing to claim that they're blowing up toxic waste over Ireland.

Maybe it's revenge for the Shannon protests... (Are they still going???)

kaimera

i nearly choked on my cornflakes this morning when i read this...

It's lunchtime now. Thanks for the early warning :rolleyes:

Stercus Accidit

Pfft junk

It could land in Australia too, actually anywhere in the world, its in a degrading orbit, it could land any where any way, shooting it over Ireland as you put it doesn't mean the object travelling at x thousand miles an hour will fall here, I assume they are aiming to the big ocean right beside us.

Oh and the toxic fuel? Yeah deadly if you expose yourself to concentrated amounts for a long period of time...

Agamemnon

I hope it lands on Ryan Turbidy.

As soon as it's shot down, I'm going to start selling bits of metal on eBay as "Genuine Satellite Debris". I'll make millions from gullible gobshites.

The Queen

humanji wrote: »

Anyway, there's nothing to be worried about. From all the films I've seen, the only thing that can happen to you is that'll you'll get superhuman powers. So it's not all bad.

FINALLY! I've been waiting for my chance to get the superpowers I deserve!! Excellent.

Maybe the US wanna take us out? They say oh it's harmless, but when they shoot it BAM! No more Ireland. :eek:

monkeyfudge

Isn't this how the Cloverfield monster was created?

FunkZ

Yis know what this mean, we're gonna have to go to war with them.

They were gonna find out about the three litres of oil in my shed sooner or later anyway...

Damomanye

kaimera wrote: »

It's lunchtime now. Thanks for the early warning :rolleyes:

Hehe, hey im a college student..what do ye expect!:D

ScumLord

Damomanye wrote: »

"We'll take one shot and assess," he said. "This is the first time we've used a tactical missile to engage a spacecraft."

Spacecraft?!! The Aliens are coming this "satellite" story is just a cover up so we won't freak out when all hell breaks lose above our heads. The first thing you need to do is panic, followed by hording. They always tell you to stay calm but that's another part of they're conspiracy! They want to to sit at home while they get all the spaghettios and leave us with nothing but custard.

Sleepy

Was listening to a piece about this on the radio this morning. They had on some 'expert' who reckoned the story was a cover for something as the satelite (and it's toxic chemicals) would burn up on re-entry anyway.

Probably a smokescreen to test their ability to shoot down low-flying satelites. I can imagine there'd be a significant military advantage in being able to take out an enemy's satelites.

MarkR

They've previously said that it was impossible until much closer to the burnup time to calculate where it's going to come down.

Here's a quote from the guardian from an hour ago.

"At present, we cannot predict the entry impact area, which could occur in any region on the Earth's surface between 58.5 degrees north and 58.5 degrees south latitudes," she added. That area includes most of the inhabited world.

Basically it is over Ireland. And every other country in the planet. Because it;s in orbit.

Note to self : Get strong umbrella.

SimpleSam06

The Queen wrote: »

FINALLY! I've been waiting for my chance to get the superpowers I deserve!! Excellent.

Sohd that! Its zombie time! Get the chainsaws, I'll hotwire someone's jeep and we'll get bizzah. Bags I the hurley with the kitchen implements attached!

alan4cult

Some dude has got a picture here http://www.galaxypix.com/
There is a thing flashing in the sky every night for the last few weeks.
Am I just an idiot or is that the satellite?

RuailleBuaille

LOL @ FunkZ and ScumLord

Time for the tinfoil hats people!

Hagar

Damomanye wrote: »

James E Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.He predicts a fairly high chance - as much as 80 percent - of hitting the satellite, which will be about 150 miles up when the shot is fired.

So when it misses we have not only a satellite falling on us but a missile as well...

Wait a minute... I'm in France, it's not coming for me. Hard luck lads.

Voodu Child

agamemnon wrote: »

I hope it lands on Ryan Turbidy.

I lolled

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Isn't this how the Cloverfield monster was created?

SPOLIERS, MAN, SPOILERS!!!

missingtime

They'll probably miss and hit the Sky satellite by mistake.

Mweelrea

Ifit lands on Tubirdy,Pat Kenny or Gay byrne i'll be delighted

But the chances of it hiting Ireland are slim

SimpleSam06

Can I still hotwire someones jeep?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Mr.S wrote: »

i bet they miss..

And the missile arcs gracefully back to earth destroying the one and only exit route out of Ireland...

humberklog

The pikies will have some job loading that into the back of a hiace. And as for burning the copper out of it.

robinph

They are really streching the truth with that headline. Yes, it is over Ireland, once every 90 minutes or so, and yes they are going to try and shoot it down, but the chances of what is left of it landing anywhere near Ireland are miniscule.

El Reg

FunkZ

I'm gonna rebuild it and go into orbit. Anyone coming?

Lemming

missingtime wrote: »

They'll probably miss and hit the Sky satellite by mistake.

And the problem here is? ...

humberklog

You tell that to paddy joe with the tv ariel antenna on his head.

robinph wrote: »

They are really streching the truth with that headline. Yes, it is over Ireland, once every 90 minutes or so, and yes they are going to try and shoot it down, but the chances of what is left of it landing anywhere near Ireland are miniscule.

El Reg

Mweelrea

FunkZ wrote: »

I'm gonna rebuild it and go into orbit. Anyone coming?

How much will you charge? lol

humberklog

Wrapped in tin foil. For protection from the depleted uranium.

Sleepy

Please, please, please let them miss and hit the pentagon on re-entry

It would just be so ridiculously funny...

briantwin

News just in,

there has been chatter on the international wire that a joint operation between the Irish and US governments to resolve this current satellite issue.

They have retro-fitted the SM-3 missiles with 2 seperate chambers with Philadelphia cream cheese and curry chips inside. The taoisheach has also ordered not to feed Minister Mary Harney for the for-seeable future. The idea being that the minister of health will catch said satellite and avert any damage or injury.

An anonymous source is quoted as saying "well i wouldn't worry about that satellite anymore. I've seen Mary go through a 16 inch reinforced steel door for a creamcake so a 5 ton satellite covered in Philadelphia and curry chips should be easy pickins for her".

Apparently there have been doing test runs using Ford Fiestas filled with chicken wings and Louisiana sauce getting fired from a trebuchet with a 4 out of 5 success rate.

Only time will tell if this ambitious plan works!!

lostexpectation

astronomy ireland should never let there name be associated which such a inacurrate article

Oh look Gary Fennelly broke out the crayons
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3434509.ece#

Archeron

FunkZ wrote: »

I'm gonna rebuild it and go into orbit. Anyone coming?

I expect in-flight entertainment.

Manic Moran

Mr.S wrote: »

i bet they miss..

Probably why they want to shoot it down. the SM-3 system is still in the testing phase, and it's as good an opportunity to conduct an additional test as any.

NTM

christo82

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

And the missile arcs gracefully back to earth destroying the one and only exit route out of Ireland...

the Holyhead Ferry

Tha Gopher

Damomanye wrote: »

i nearly choked on my cornflakes this morning when i read this...

The Pentagon is planning to shoot down a satellite orbiting over Ireland with a missile from a US navy warship

We have modified three SM-3 missiles aboard Aegis ships to strike the satellite," said James E Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.He predicts a fairly high chance - as much as 80 percent - of hitting the satellite, which will be about 150 miles up when the shot is fired.

"We'll take one shot and assess," he said. "This is the first time we've used a tactical missile to engage a spacecraft."

Astronomy enthusiasts say that debris could land anywhere from Co Cork to Co Donegal. Satellite trackers say that the 5,000lb craft, about the size of a small bus, travels on an orbit of 58.5 degrees that takes it over most of the Earth from Ireland and the tip of Scotland to Patagonia at the southern end of Latin America.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3434509.ece


Excuse me while build a bunker..

Do you work for The Sun or The Herald? A big dramatic headline to read a story about ifs, buts and probablys. From what I gauge from sensibly reading it the satellite will fall somewhere between Glasgow and the far south of Chile. Its hardly a confirmed hit on us is it.

Wouldnt it be ironic if after posting this it ended up killing me.

I hope it hits my workplace in the middle of the night tbh.

galwayrush

I'll gladly pay for it to land on my Neighbours house.:cool:

ScumLord

I'll be severely disappointed if we don't get hit by bits of it. I'd even settle for seeing the rocket off if there firing from the Atlantic.

staker

where does the missile go if it misses dude?

Eero New

Sure if it kills someone it kills someone.

Bob the Builder

Eero New wrote: »

Sure if it kills someone it kills someone.

Well they say it's overpopulated anyway!

RonMexico

The yanks will probably miss and hit the international space station thus no more expensive trips on their clapped out shuttle. Tis all a conspiracy....

chuci

tin foil hats and superpowers yay the irish breed of superheroes. its going to miss isnt it.

Eero New

nevf wrote: »

Well they say it's overpopulated anyway!

Yeah, as long as it dosent kill me, i dont care about the rest of you.

Thats my 'New Ireland' attitude coming out in me...

galwayrush

Please land on my Neighbour's house
Please land on my Neighbour's house
Please land on my Neighbour's house

RoundyMooney

You have a Neighbours house?

Is it full of tanned Australians?

Capt'n Midnight

hydrazine ?

I reckon its a missile test disuised as FUD

can't they just vent the tanks ?

Hydrazine is similar to hydrogen peroxide in some ways, mainly that it is very easy to break down into relatively harmless stuff, and both ammonia and hydrazine have a similar smell, and no one likes babies nappies so even if it did survive then no one is going to try to taste it :rolleyes:

Can't see how the tank that contains it oculd survive reentry without the hydrazine getting up to decomposition termperature. Anyway here is this list of things that cause hydrazine to decompose to Nitrogen (inert), Hydrogen (non-toxic and fastest dispersing gas known) and some ammonia (it's what makes nappies smell so bad)
http://www.pcl.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/HY/hydrazine.html

May be an explosion hazard, particularly if heated. Incompatible with sources of ignition, light, shock, strong oxidizing agents, strong acids, metal oxides, nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide, most common metals, organic materials, porous materials such as wood, paper, asbestos, soil or rust.

galwayrush

RoundyMooney wrote: »

You have a Neighbours house?

Is it full of tanned Australians?

Can i swap the neighbour for a few tanned Australians?

RoundyMooney

In an ideal world, quite possibly.