WASHINGTON — President Bush, acting on the advice of his national security advisers, has decided to attempt to shoot down a malfunctioning spy satellite that is expected to crash to Earth early next month, a spokesman for the National Security Council said yesterday.

NSC spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the president made the decision within the past week and asked the military to come up with plans to destroy the satellite.

Mr. Johndroe said that decision was based on the fact that the satellite is carrying substantial amounts of the hazardous and corrosive rocket fuel, hydrazine. The satellite was launched in December 2006 but soon lost contact with ground control. While information about the spacecraft is classified, experts believe it is the first of a new generation of smaller and more precise spy satellites.

Mr. Johndroe said the satellite would be destroyed “as it comes to Earth,” which is expected to occur in several weeks.

The satellite is believed to be in the 5,000- to 10,000-pound range, small for a spy satellite. It still is carrying most or all of its fuel, because it lost communication with ground control so quickly and was never ordered to conduct a burn of its fuel.

Before yesterday’s announcement, many experts in the field said that the danger of anyone being harmed by the falling satellite were extremely small.

Much larger spacecraft have fallen to Earth without consequences.