Shot in the dark

The Governnment raised holy hell when the Chinese shot down one of their non-functional satellites last year. Of course the fact that it was in a 600 mile orbit and the debris will scatter all over the place to become a permanent hazard to other space vehicles is a legitimate complaint, but the story was played as a hostile move. If they can shoot down one of theirs, they can shoot down all of ours was the scenario squeezed out of the hypothesis. Indeed it was a feat that demonstrates China's growing prowess in Space technology which challenges the American sense of ownership.

Of course we will be very offended if anyone complains about our attempt to shoot down a spy satellite of ours that's already on a decaying orbit and should otherwise re-enter the atmosphere some time around March 6th. That there is a hydrazine tank aboard that might actually make it to the surface is the stated motivation, despite the really tiny chance that it might cause any harm to any one or any thing, but one wonders whether the chance to experiment with anti-missile technology isn't the real basis for the shot. The Earth is a relatively big place after all and the chances of a tank full of hydrazine hitting a populated area is remote.

It's not that I oppose the attempt; it's just that the crisis of confidence in our Government has become so severe that the assumption of dishonesty is always the safest bet.