The U.S. Navy plans to take a shot Wednesday at destroying a faltering spy satellite before it can tumble to Earth and -- possibly -- release a cloud of toxic gas. Sailors on the USS Lake Erie plan to fire a missile into space from a spot west of Hawaii around 10:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, Pentagon sources said. They hope to destroy the 5,000-pound spy satellite that malfunctioned just after launch in December 2006.The United States plans to spend up to $60 million to try to destroy the satellite even though there is only a remote possibility the satellite could fall to Earth, survive re-entry and spew toxic gas in a populated area, said James Jeffrey, deputy national security adviser.
"The regret factor of not acting clearly outweighed the regret factor of acting," he said.
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