Washington-A disabled U.S. spy satellite (L-21) is likely to break into small pieces when it falls to Earth within 3 weeks, ....."Posing little danger to humans", said Gordon Johndroe, the White House National Security Council spokesman.
But he said the U.S. government was monitoring the satellite's descent from orbit and examining different options to "mitigate any damage."
The U.S. military could potentially use a missile to destroy the minivan-sized satellite in space, but one senior U.S. defense official said that was unlikely for several reasons, including concern about creating space debris as China did when it shot down one of its satellites last year.
*However, I have heard on good authority that this
Spy Satellite has never been used, and therefore has its full complement of Hydrazine in its tank. Hydrazine, is a poisonous propellant that could endanger human life should it come down in a populated area and rupture its tank.
Being a Spy Satellite that is now falling by 5 miles every 24 hours, I am sure the U.S. military are concerned that it should not fall into foreign hands.*
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2628127620080128.....(two pages)
***My additional thoughts
If the fail-safe hydrazine valve is part of the tank. Hydrazine rupture is likely upon land-fall.
But if the fail-safe hydrazine valve is on the end of a pipe, attached to the tank, the hydrazine is most likely to be vented into space, upon re-entry breakup.
