# Can the shuttle have been shot down with a stinger?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 1, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092 "2003-02-01T14:20:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/21 "2003-02-01T14:57:24Z")

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Mach 17. 200,000 feet. Not a missile. No way.

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/22 "2003-02-01T14:57:28Z")

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Short answer, no. The Stinger has a ceiling of around 10,000 feet, according to FAS. By comparison, even the Patriot SAM only has a maximum altitude of around 80,000 feet.

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**Author:** ![Eli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@Eli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eli)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/23 "2003-02-01T14:57:33Z")

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**200,700 feet**

No way, the Stinger cant reach such heights. It’s ceiling height is 10,000 feet.

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-shuttle-have-been-shot-down-with-a-stinger/152092/24 "2003-02-01T15:01:53Z")

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No terrorist shot down the Space Shuttle travelling at Mach 17 while it was nearly 40 miles up. Iraq didn’t do it either. I don’t really know that _we_ could have intercepted a vessel that high up moving that fast.

Let’s try to contain ourselves on spreading conspiracy theories and baseless rumors.

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