Topic: Pentagon Says Satellite's Tank Was Destroyed

New York Times
February 26, 2008
Pg. 13
By Thom Shanker
The Pentagon said the mission to launch a Navy missile-interceptor at a dead spy satellite appears to have succeeded in destroying a tank filled with toxic rocket fuel. The Pentagon said it had reached the conclusion based on studying remnants from the missile strike on Wednesday. The statement said a joint space operations headquarters based at Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, was tracking less than 3,000 pieces of debris, “all smaller than a football.” Most of the debris, the statement said, had already re-entered the atmosphere or would within coming weeks. There had been no reports of debris hitting Earth, the statement said, adding that “it is unlikely any will remain intact to impact the ground.”