Giant, uh, Things From Space!

Some of you may have been worrying about the possibility that something large and classified may land on your head. The super-secret U.S. spy satellite USA 193 (operated by the super-duper-secret National Reconaissance Office) malfunctioned after launch and has been dropping lower and lower in its orbit. There's talk of danger from its hydrazine propellant, but one would think the real danger is something the size of a bus moving at several miles per second plowing into your neighborhood.

Fortunately, the Department of Defense has decided to do something about it. They're going to shoot it down. This will serve three useful purposes: first, it alleviates the whole getting hit by something the size of a bus issue; second, it makes sure nobody gets their sticky fingers on the Pentagon's classified goodies; and third, it demonstrates to any interested parties that the U.S. can shoot down satellites.