This US Air Force Pilot Shot Down A Satellite 35 Years Ago

On Sept. 13, 1985, Maj. Gen. Wilbert “Doug” Pearson Jr. made history by becoming the first and only pilot to shoot down a satellite. He did so by flying an F-15A straight up and letting a loose a purpose-built missile that rammed the satellite in orbit. (Air Force photos / Paul Reynolds)

Task & Purpose: Meet the first and only Air Force pilot to shoot down a satellite

On September 13, 1985, an Air Force pilot pushed his F-15A into a steep climb at near-supersonic speeds as he prepared to launch into history. The pilot had prepared many months for what he was about to do: fire a heat-seeking missile towards a satellite the size of a 1969 Volkswagen as it hurtled through orbit at five miles a second. Basically, he was about to hit a bullet with another bullet, which would require absolutely perfect timing. But the pilot was ready for it.

“After we left the tanker, I started getting very confident we were going to make our timing,” said Maj. Gen. Wilbert “Doug” Pearson Jr. (ret.), who was then a major. “Everything was looking just perfect as we flew out to the launch point.”

The G-forces piled on as Pearson climbed 7 miles over the Pacific Ocean at nearly Mach 1. He was about 200 miles off the coast of southern California, but his target, an aging weather satellite, was still over Hawaii, more than 2,000 miles west. That was just fine for Pearson, whose aircraft carried the ASM-135, a missile purpose-built to hit that faraway mark.

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WNU Editor: This happened 35 years ago, and the above post is a fascinating read on the success of this test.

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