On Sept. 13, 1985, U.S. Air Force Maj. Wilbert "Doug" Pearson became the first pilot ever to shoot down a satellite, when he fired an ASM-135 ASAT anti-satellite missile from his F-15A Eagle at an altitude of 38,100 feet.
Flying at just above Mach 1.2, Maj. Pearson pulled up into a 3.8g, 65-degree climb. With the russians launching satellites to spy on the US on the regular, the mission represented the culmination of a six-year development and test program for the ASAT missile.
The infra-red sensor of the ASAT missile detected and tracked the intended target, the obsolete, 2,000-pound Solwind P78-1 solar laboratory launched in 1979 and orbiting at an altitude of 345 miles.
Dubbed the "Celestial Eagle Flight" made him the first and only space ace in history. #zerogravityforyourballs #stayzero #zerofoxtrot #startgateshit