Contingency planning is *not* news

[debgeisler]

This story at Wired News notes that the US military is doing some contingency planning in case that spy satellite that's falling down hits the US.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. military is developing contingency plans to deal with the possibility that a large spy satellite expected to fall to Earth in late February or early March could hit North America.

Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, who heads of U.S. Northern Command, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the size of the satellite suggests that some number of pieces will not burn up as the orbiting vehicle re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and will hit the ground.

"We're aware that this satellite is out there," Renuart said. "We're aware it is a fairly substantial size. And we know there is at least some percentage that it could land on ground as opposed to in the water."

Y'know, Wired, I just don't think this is news. Now, if they were just blowing it off and assuming no planning was needed since they were pretty sure it would hit water -- that'd be news.