Feb. 25

Department of Defense officials said they are confident the missile they sent to intercept a wayward satellite last week achieved its objective of destroying the hydrazine tank and reducing, if not eliminating, the risk to people on Earth from the hazardous chemical.

"By all accounts this was a successful mission," said Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "From the debris analysis, we have a high degree of confidence the satellite´s fuel tank was destroyed and the hydrazine has been dissipated."

A single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), fired from the USS Lake Erie, intercepted the satellite.

An operations center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., is tracking less than 3,000 pieces of debris, all smaller than a football. The vast majority of debris has already reentered or will shortly reenter the Earth´s atmosphere in the coming days and weeks. To date, there have been no reports of debris landing on Earth and it is unlikely any will remain intact to impact the ground, Defense Department officials said.

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