An American spy satellite may fall to Earth

No details have yet been provided as to which satellite it is, the Pentagon fears the disclosure of protected state secrets and satellite experts fear damage to civilians mainly as a result of the hydrazine rocket fuel emissions

An American spy satellite has gone out of control and is expected to crash on Earth sometime in February or March. American government officials told the news agencies that the satellite had lost electrical power and propulsion and it also contained dangerous materials. The White House said it was under surveillance. According to the White House spokesman, many satellites have fallen to Earth over the years and most of them did not cause any damage.

"We are looking at the options to deal with any possible damage that the satellite may cause," said Gordon Jondor, spokesman for the US National Security Council, to the Associated Press. He did not specify whether the US would try to destroy the satellite, perhaps even by launching a missile at it. A senior official who did not identify himself and who was also quoted by AP, said that the US government is updating Congress and representatives of other countries about the situation.

a dangerous substance

The satellite contains the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine, a colorless liquid with an ammonia-like odor. This material may cause harm to anyone who comes into contact with it. John Pike, director of the research body GlobalSecurity.org said that an uncontrolled return of the satellite could also reveal US secrets.

Spy satellites are usually destroyed during a controlled entry into the oceans so that no one can reach them. Military experts say that the interception of the satellite may result in the creation of many fragments that will return to the atmosphere and burn or damage the ground. According to his estimate, the satellite weighs about 9 tons and is the size of a small bus, and therefore the mission is possible. According to the same source, control of the satellite was lost about a year ago and it is only now approaching the atmosphere.

The largest space vehicle that crashed uncontrollably on Earth was the American space laboratory Skylab which weighed 78 tons and which fell in 1979. The fragments of the laboratory fell harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and remote areas of Western Australia. In 2002, a scientific satellite weighing 3.2 tons crashed. Its remains fell over the Persian Gulf, thousands of kilometers from the site where it was first predicted to crash.