Cost to shoot down spy satellite: $60 million

[TAWS]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/02/15/spy.satellite/index.html

Anyone hear about the cost of the attempt to shoot down the falling spy satellite? Imagine what we could have done with the money instead...

"The Missile Defense Agency estimated the cost of a sea-based attempted intercept at $40 million to $60 million."

[whistle]

1. Cost to shoot down a Russian spy satellite: WW III, IV and V

[PearliePoo2]

2. what the hell?

what could possibly cost this much?
The boats are there, the misslies are on-board, the navi systems are there. Radar is ready.
What the fuck....no way!
Admit, I have yet to click on the link for additional info.

[hack89]

3. Missiles are $10 mil a pop. nt

[napi21]

5. You really need to read the link. The missiles are $10 million each,

and they modified 3 of them for this particular task. The article speaks to 200+ scientists and engineers who have been working on this since January, and those folks don't come cheap!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. Hey, remember the days that people would be trying to figure out how to return the satellite to

Earth?

ESPECIALLY, because it contains hazardous materials...why are we shooting down the "potentially dangerous" satellite, again? :shrug:

[napi21]

7. Because THIS ONE malfunctioned shortly after it was launched,

and it still contains almost a full payload of fuel.

(snip from article)
Because the super-secret spy satellite malfunctioned immediately after launch in December 2006, its fuel tank is full, and it would probably survive re-entry and disperse harmful, even potentially deadly fumes over an area the size of two football fields.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

8. Are there no contigency plans in our government? Ever?

I need to go watch "Apollo Thirteen" again.

[wtmusic]

9. The hazardous materials excuse is nonsense

They don't want the spy part of the satellite (or any piece of it) in foreign hands.

[jus_the_facts]

6. I get a bad feeling that this will end up costing a whole lot more maybe....

x(

[Jack_DeLeon]

10. Money well spent...

Get get three things out of it.

1. Test out our anti-missile/satellite system

2. Prevent foreign nations from potentially recovering some of our technology

3. Reduce the risk of someone getting injured ont he ground from this thing

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

11. And, it will go off without a hitch, just like everything else the Bush government does, I'm sure.

I can't shake the feeling that he's been watching space movies, and is fantasizing about Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck "shooting up" the satellite.

:-)

[bdamomma]

12. I don't have a "good feeling" about this either.

Russia and China don't either.