The shootdown of the spy satellite, USA 193 (or NROL-21) by the US Navy occured on Wednesday, February 20, just after a Full Lunar Eclipse on the same day. The potential repercussions, taking into account China and Russia, did not go unnoticed in Jamaica.
Marc Cornwall, NPoC for Jamaica wrote a letter to the editor of the Jamaica Gleaner just hours after the shootdown was confirmed by online news media in an attempt to bring the situation to the attention of Jamaicans. While the letter was not published, five (5) days later the Jamaica Gleaner published an editorial with a comprehensive contextual analysis of the situation.
Read the editorial here
______________________________________________________________________________________________
See the letter by Marc Cornwall below:
The Editor, Sir:
I found quite refreshing two of your most recent articles that took eyes away from some of the apparent 'doom,' 'gloom' and 'politricks' headlines that currently dominate Jamaican media, up towards the sky. I refer to your articles informing the Jamaican populace of the United States spy satellite that was expected to hit the Earth in early March and the Lunar Eclipse that occurred between February 20 and 21 around the globe (evening of February 20 in Jamaica). I would hope you find space in your paper to show Jamaica yet again that there is much going on in the great blue yonder right above our heads.
Lunar Eclipse
The Lunar Eclipse is indeed the last visible from Jamaica this year, however anyone who saw the February 20 eclipse and has been entranced by it can glimpse a variant of that one in the early morning hours of July 22 next year where the Moon will just pass into the outer shadow (penumbra) of the Earth and be slightly darkened. Another Penumbral Lunar Eclipse will be visible from Jamaica just after sunset on August 06 of next year. It is instructive to note that Lunar Eclipses always occur during a Full Moon, and Solar Eclipses during a New Moon - don't look for them at any other time of the month!
Satellite Shoot-down or Shootout?
What might make for a more engaging discussion, however is the dysfunctional bus sized satellite labelled US 193 which was projected to hit Earth in early March. The US military eliminated the satellite with a heat seeking missile some time in the late evening of Wednesday, a little after the Lunar Eclipse.
The satellite was said to contain a propellant (fuel) hydrazine, which is toxic to humans and could cause serious injury or death were humans to come in contact with it when the satellite hits. It is unlikely that the whole satellite would have survived reentry into the atmosphere; projections stated that roughly half of the 2 ton satellite may have survived and one of the hardiest elements of a satellite during reentry is the fuel tank!
So, the US military opted to shoot down the wayward satellite in their stated attempt to prevent any death or injury which it may cause on the ground - not easy! The satellite would have been moving at a clip of about eight kilometres per second (8km/s) or roughly 28,000 kilometres per hour(!) but the attempt was stated as successful according to subsequent press releases.
The US has been criticised by China however, and Russia for shooting down the satellite. China some time last year conducted what is known as an Anti-SATellite (ASAT) test where it used a missile launched from the Earth to destroy a defunct Chinese weather satellite, creating thousands of pieces of debris during the process which now pose a further danger to other orbiting spacecraft, and humans that may be on them. That satellite posed no immediate danger to people on the ground. The US, then, criticised China for their demonstration of military capabilities in Space.
So one is left with the knowledge that China shot down one of their satellites to test and display their capabilities, and now, the US shoots down one of their own satellites to avoid any potential deaths on the ground - or is this global 'politiricks' at play? Some, of course, think the U.S. just wanted to show that "We can do it too Punchinello little fellow." And now the question; "Who is coming next Punchinello little fellow?"
Heads Up!
The concern of injury to humans was indeed a legitimate one, as the satellite could've fallen anywhere on the planet if left simply to nature. It has happened before where one Russian satellite spewed some radioactive elements over a remote area (luckily) as it crashed into Canada, and another where the fortunately empty remains of a fuel tank fell on a Farm in the US - unfortunately a small piece of that fuel tank hit a woman as she went about her daily stroll but she walked away uninjured. There have been many other events as each of the tens of thousands of unused man made objects now in Space take their turns in the ultimate sky dive.
There are always opportunities to spot these objects as they streak through the sky above us. Prime viewing times are during sunrise or sunset when the sky is dark enough for you to see sunlight reflected off the shiny coverings that many of these satellites have and at an angle where that light will reflect towards your direction. A good website to use in tracking the objects is the Heavens Above website which will make you know when one is going to pass over your neighbourhood of the globe.
I tell my fellow Jamaicans that it pays to keep an eye on the sky as well as an eye on that shady character apparently approaching you with no good intentions - projectiles may come from something he has, or indeed, something that the innocent blue sky holds. Said in another light, local 'politricks' should always hold sway, but keep an active eye on the international 'politricks' as well - it may seem rather distant and far from our reality, but you never know when the result of all this 'politrickal' play will come crashing down on our heads.
Marc Cornwall
National Point of Contact (Jamaica)
Space Generation Advisory Council
www.spacegeneration.org
mrcacrl@yahoo.co.uk
Receive the lastest announcements, discuss space-related topics with other members.