Disabled spy satellite threatens Earth

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080126/ap_on_go_ot/dead_satellite

WASHINGTON - A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and could hit the Earth in late February or March, government officials said Saturday.


The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret.

"Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, when asked about the situation after it was disclosed by other officials. "Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause."

He would not comment on whether it is possible for the satellite to be perhaps shot down by a missile. He said it would be inappropriate to discuss any specifics at this time.

A senior government official said that lawmakers and other nations are being kept apprised of the situation.

Such an uncontrolled re-entry could risk exposure of U.S. secrets, said John Pike, a defense and intelligence expert. Spy satellites typically are disposed of through a controlled re-entry into the ocean so that no one else can access the spacecraft, he said.

Pike also said it's not likely the threat from the satellite could be eliminated by shooting it down with a missile, because that would create debris that would then re-enter the atmosphere and burn up or hit the ground.

Pike, director of the defense research group GlobalSecurity.org, estimated that the spacecraft weighs about 20,000 pounds and is the size of a small bus. He said the satellite would create 10 times less debris than the Columbia space shuttle crash in 2003.

As for possible hazardous material in the spacecraft, Pike said it might contain beryllium, a light metal with a high melting point that is used in the defense and aerospace industries.

Jeffrey Richelson, a senior fellow with the National Security Archive, said the spacecraft likely is a photo reconnaisance satellite. Such eyes in the sky are used to gather visual information from space about adversarial governments and terror groups, including construction at suspected nuclear sites or militant training camps. The satellites also can be used to survey damage from hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters.

The largest uncontrolled re-entry by a NASA spacecraft was Skylab, the 78-ton abandoned space station that fell from orbit in 1979. Its debris dropped harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and across a remote section of western Australia.

In 2000, NASA engineers successfully directed a safe de-orbit of the 17-ton Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, using rockets aboard the satellite to bring it down in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.

In 2002, officials believe debris from a 7,000-pound science satellite smacked into the Earth's atmosphere and rained down over the Persian Gulf, a few thousand miles from where they first predicted it would plummet.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/


The Daily News’ Phoenix bureau is officially open.

I’ve got to admit, this whole thing still feels a little surreal. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep, I don’t know, but it hasn’t quite sunk in yet that the Giants are playing in the Super Bowl. For the life of me, I just can’t figure out how it happened. They were six inches from being finished in Week 3. Heading into Week 16 there was still an outside chance Tom Coughlin could get fired.

This really is the most remarkable run I’ve covered in my nearly 17 years in the business. I’ve certainly never covered a team that was this good in the face of overwhelming odds.

Don’t worry, I’m still not going to pick them to win Super Bowl XLII. I’m just saying this whole thing has been pretty impressive.
* * *

Meanwhile, back in reality …

The over-analysis is already numbing my mind. On the radio last night, I was asked if it was a mistake by Tom Coughlin that the Giants aren’t arriving until tomorrow, while the New England Patriots are arriving tonight.

Yes, the 24 extra hours in Phoenix will likely have a huge impact on Super Bowl XLII.

The question has also been raised that maybe the Giants have been partying a little too much and enjoying the limelight more than they should. Apparently this all has to do with Lawrence Tynes going on Letterman on Tuesday, and several Giants appearing at a Knicks game the same night.

Memo to the world: They were off Tuesday and Wednesday. They can do what they want. It’s not like any of them took Brittany Spears to Cabo or something.
* * *

The question I’ve been asked on the radio the most this week is: “What party are you most looking forward to?”

Unless there’s a party in the work room at the Giants’ hotel, I somehow doubt I’ll be at any of them. Besides, for the 10th time in my 10 Super Bowls, I’ve somehow been left off the Maxim party guest list.

Once I was invited to stand behind a rope next to the red carpet so I could watch people enter the Maxim party. I was tempted, but it’s just not the same as being there, I don’t think.
* * *

Touchdown, Patriots!

The Patriots are officially here! I just saw their plane land on ESPNNews. It’s raining here, but at least it’s warm
* * *

The final, official roster of Team Daily News includes a total of 19 people (once Tim Smith rolls into town tomorrow, and Mike Lupica arrives on Wednesday). I think that’s almost the entire staff so I certainly hope someone turned out the lights down on 33rd Street.

The Blue Screen, of course, will keep you up to date on just about everything going on in Arizona, but please make sure to check the Daily News’ football coverage on our website every day.

There’s a lot of great stuff planned, and there’ll always be a few surprises.

Also, for those of you in the New York area, keep your eyes on SNY, where Rich Cimini and I will be coming into your living room live from Phoenix every day on Daily News Live (5-6 p.m.). There’ll also be a few extra Giants shows on SNY this week, and when I get the details on those I’ll pass them along.
* * *

Want a sure thing? According to Al DeMarco, one of my Daily News Live colleagues, one of the prop bets you can place on Super Bowl XLII is on the length of the national anthem, which will be sung by Jordin Sparks, the daughter of ex-Giants CB Phillippi Sparks.

The over/under, I’m told, is 1:42.

Let me tell you something. This will be the 10th Super Bowl anthem I’ve witnessed in person, and I seriously doubt any of them have come in under 2:30. Singers often butcher and stretch the national anthem on a regular basis anyway, in a look-at-me way that would put Chad Johnson to shame. But at the Super Bowl, they take what is supposed to be a crisp march and add a long intro and do all sorts of fancy things with their voice and the words, and it drags on for what seems like forever.

I’m not a betting man, but if I were I’d take the over in a heartbeat. It’s a better bet than the Giants plus the points.

Strawdoc Feb 3, 2008 9:47:23 AM Report Offensive Post
The part of the column about Clemens is generally on target. It's funny how YES functions like Pravda did in the Soviet Union. That poor kid Hughes looks like an idiot. Raissman does make one error, however. He says McNamee alleged that Clemens "had been juicing since 1998." Actually, McNamee alleged that McNamee began injecting Clemens with steroids in 1998. It is highly likely that Clemens started juicing much earlier than that (without McNamee's involvement), given how experienced with PEDs he was at the time he approached McNamee to ask for injections.

yanksfan22 Feb 3, 2008 10:54:28 AM Report Offensive Post
Roger is great thats just how simple it is. You people along with other people would love for these allegations to ruin his career. You say, he must have taken steroids, he too old to still be pitching. He has 7 Cy Youngs. He's won the Cy Young over 40yrs old. Noloan Ryan pitched a no hitter with 16k's 2BB in 1991 wen he was 44. Did ryan do steroids to acheive this feat? Must have according to you people. Looks at the stats, you don't have to look at the stats, if you watched baseball the last 15 years you would know what you saw. Lets face it, Roger Clemens is great and people can't stand it. GO ROGER, SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU DO. 354 Wins 4000+ K's Thoses stats say steroids don't they, what about Ryan, 5000+ k's???

Borough watch Feb 3, 2008 11:13:19 AM Report Offensive Post
Uh ....... exactly what was all that workout equipment doing at the Yankees minor league complex that Phil Hughes was using during the segment on the YES Hot Stove Report ? A good guess might say it's there to use and getting in baseball condition. Why does everything have to be about 'roids ?

Wake Up Omar Feb 3, 2008 11:47:53 AM Report Offensive Post
If Hughes made that comment after the Mitchell report came out then he is a fool. He will fit right in with the current Yankees. Cashman made the right decision to keep him.

PCS432 Feb 3, 2008 12:11:26 PM Report Offensive Post
The YES segment with Hughes was first shown on their Yankees Magazine show on (or around) 12/5. It was recently rebroadcast on Yankees Hot Stove. The Mitchell report was released on 12/13. So, the interview was definitely taped before the Mitchell Report.

Wake Up Omar Feb 3, 2008 12:24:35 PM Report Offensive Post
Fair enough. Hughes is not as stupid as Raissman makes him out to be.

Strawdoc Feb 3, 2008 1:58:20 PM Report Offensive Post
The real culprit on this one is YES -- they made Hughes *look* like an idiot by airing Hughes saying he wants to have longevity by being like Clemens. As I believe Raissman said, they should have edited that out. Or maybe pointed out that the interview was taped before the news on Clemens was out. Problem is, it sounds like PEDs is becoming an unspeakable term on YES. They are like Pravda.

WebmistressEMC Feb 3, 2008 2:20:10 PM Report Offensive Post
yanksfan22, no one's ever said Clemens wasn't "great". He was great up until when he began to break down despite his intensive work routines, about 1993 or so. He continued in this career path until mid-1996, when something happened to give him a new career lease on life (which is what Strawdoc referred to in the post just before yours). That "something" along with his already-established intensive work routine helped him be great again through most of the next 8 years. At that time, in 2005, Clemens began asking for shortened seasons despite his intensive work routines, which coincided with the one-year anniversary of steroid testing in MLB.

WebmistressEMC Feb 3, 2008 2:21:23 PM Report Offensive Post
I was amused to see how relatively slender Clemens appears now, despite wearing that bulky sweatshirt at the Astros Elite Camp.

WebmistressEMC Feb 3, 2008 2:22:53 PM Report Offensive Post
Quip on Baseball Think Factory after report that Clemens showed up at the Astros' Elite Camp: Astros sources that asked not to be identified are now reporting that Clemens was actually only there to drop off a package for Miguel Tejada.