Missile hits dying US spy satellite

The USS Lake Erie, armed with an SM-3 missile designed to knock down incoming missiles — not orbiting satellites — launched the attack at 10.26 pm EST (8.56 am IST Thursday), according to the Pentagon. It hit the satellite about three minutes later as the spacecraft travelled in polar orbit at more than 27,000 kmph.

Image: In this November 6, 2007 picture provided by the US Navy, a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) is launched from the Pearl Harbour-based guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie as part of a Missile Defence Agency test in the Pacific Ocean

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