Well, they hit the runaway satellite on the first attempt. Not a surprise, but I think the direct hit will erase some doubts about current missile tech abilities. It should be very soon that we’ll see an increase in the missile defense budget… he said smugly.

This youtube video shows the actual hit. Pretty awesome explosion!

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 p.m. EST, according to the Pentagon. It hit the satellite about three minutes later as the spacecraft traveled in polar orbit at more than 17,000 mph.

The Lake Erie and two other Navy warships, as well as the SM-3 missile and other components, were modified in a hurry-up project headed by the Navy in January. The missile alone cost nearly $10 million, and officials estimated that the total cost of the project was at least $30 million. Doh!