It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Satellite!

Taking a page from Hollywood science fiction, the Pentagon said Thursday that a Navy cruiser somewhere in the northern Pacific will make an unprecedented attempt as soon as next week to shoot down an errant satellite with a missile, just before the spacecraft enters Earth's atmosphere. Military and administration officials said the satellite is carrying fuel called hydrazine that could injure or even kill people who are near it when it hits the ground. The dramatic maneuver may trigger international concerns, and U.S. officials have begun notifying other countries of the plan, stressing that it does not signal the start of a new American anti-satellite weapons program. Larry Mantle talks about the unusual problem with New York Times Associate Editor Philip Taubman.