It's a Hit

The U.S. Navy displayed a capability no one was sure it had: using a modified SM-3 intended for missile interception to knock the malfunctioning spysat U.S. 193 into countless small pieces. Unlike the fragments produced by the controversial Chinese ASAT test, these are low enough to ensure they reenter and burn up, as some have already done. The 453 kg of hydrazine on board has vaporized, and DoD is patting itself on the back for a job well done - while continuing to emphasize this was a one-time event and the U.S. was not deploying antisatellite weapons.