Video and graphic: How the Navy shot down satellite

A U.S. missile on Thursday, Feb. 21, smashed a disabled spy satellite that was headed for Earth, an unprecedented mission for the Navy.

Marine Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said officials had a "high degree of confidence" that the missile,  launched from a Navy cruiser, hit exactly where intended — destroying the toxic fuel tank that officials said could kill if it fell to a populated area on Earth.

The military concluded that the missile had successfully shattered the satellite because trackers detected a fire ball, which seemed to indicate the exploding hydrazine in the tank. A vapor cloud also suggested the destruction of the fuel, he said.

Click the graphic at left, "Targeting a Dying Satellite," to learn more about how the mission was carried out.

Click the video to watch Navy footage of the missile launch and intercept.