A specially-armed US Navy warship is moving in to position in the Pacific to destroy an out-of-control satellite, using missiles originally designed to intercept ballistic missiles.

The launch could take place as soon as tonight, once the space shuttle Atlantis, currently in orbit after a mission to the international space station, has safely returned to Earth.

China and Russia have expressed concerns over the plan, saying that it represents a veiled weapons test and that it is the first step in a new, space-based phase of the arms race.

In preparation for the strike, the US government has issued a warning to air and sea traffic to remain clear of an area of the Pacific while the USS Lake Erie carries out its task.

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US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has been granted the authority by President Bush to give the go-ahead to launch.

Washington has denied accusations that the interception is a show of strength after China's successful shooting down of a weather satellite in January 2007. It also denies that it is hiding technological secrets by destroying the satellite.

While the SM-3 interceptor missiles have successfully brought down ballistic missiles in tests, the bus-sized satellite represents a much greater problem.

It is colder, making it harder to track with the infrared "heat-seeking" technology, and is travelling far faster.

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