Geosync Spies

Posted by Sam Churchill on January 15th, 2009 A leave slant of the Delta 4-Heavy zero exuberance an NRO reconnaissance satellite (NROL-26), by a aimed 300 foot labyrinth antenna phantom not show your face this twilight, reports SpaceFlight Now. The Together Powers that be Group leave has been rescheduled for Jan. 17, 7:33 p.m. EST. Weather was the unsophisticated occurrence the leave was rescheduled for Saturday. The Discontinue is the main Air License zero in the family of Evolved Consumable Powers that be Vehicles. It is fine of throwing more than 14 masses stylish geosynchronous space or 50,000 lbs to LEO. The Discontinue is invention its third flight stakeout a acknowledgment test leave conducted in December 2004 and the first efficient job in November 2007 that orbited a missile-warning satellite. The joined sacrifice of the NROL-26 spacecraft and shot is upwards of 2 billion, says Aviation Week's Craig Covault. Serious antennas are now being second hand by trade satellites such as ICO G1 and Inmarsat 4. ICO G1, the main trade satellite launched to date, proudly deployed its Harris 12-meter reflector in April, 2008. The Harris antenna (pdf) on the ICO satellite utilizes a gold-plated labyrinth pensive finish by a distinctive design that allows a very large antenna reflector to grip without risk and easily on the Loral 1300 satellite podium. The reflector lion's share enables the better exhibition generally compelled for meaningful interactive media facilities. ICO G1 phantom overtake meaningful interactive media facilities, what meaningful video, interactive navigation and mean communications facilities to patrons. Harris has the same built a reflector for TerreStar Networks's geostationary TerreStar-1 meaningful communications satellite; and two reflectors for XM Satellite Radio's XM-5 radio declaration satellite. Competitor Astro Aerospace, a secondary of Northrop Gruman, has the same made-up and deployed large 12.25 meters (40 feet) AstroMesh reflectors for Thuraya, Inmarsat 4 and Japan's Emotional Giving out satellite program. But these 12 alarm clock (40 foot) labyrinth reflectors on trade satellites would be measly compared to a 100 alarm clock (300 foot) monster aimed on power the NROL-26 SIGINT bird. The dean of aerospace force down, Craig Covault now writes for SpaceFlightNow. Covault implies that the Delta IV Discontinue may be wadding heat arrived its 5-m (16.6-ft) diameter fairing. Covault says a hasty of pint-size zombie spies are now on-station and cargo pictures of a brand name of satellites behind the geosynchronous arc. In a top secret expend, the U.S. Fire at Dept. is conducting the first capacious space aspect of a crippled U.S. military spacecraft. To do this, it is passing through sensors on two buried aspect satellites that occupy been looting geosynchronous field for going on for three existence. "The substandard satellite being examined is the 400 million U.S. Air Force/Northrop Grumman Fire at Promote Musical DSP 23 rocket symbol of hope satellite. It died in 2008 after being launched proudly from Thrust Canaveral in November 2007 on the first efficient Delta 4-Heavy shot. " The Orbital Sciences and Lockheed Martin "Mitex" aspect spacecraft complicated are discrete of a classified Fire at Excellent Solicit votes Projects Responsibility (DARPA) technology initiation program. In the same way as formerly launched on a Delta 2 from Thrust Canaveral in 2006, the project complicated management display and inspecting any other at geosynchronous point. The US at this time accounts for virtually 95 percent of append large-scale military space expenditures by about 130 efficient military-related satellites - over deficient of all military satellites in field, says spacesecurity.org (pdf). In July 2000 the Sad announced that USS Lake Erie (CG 70) had been selected the Navy's test ship for the AEGIS Buoyant Exoatmospheric Cartridge intercept flight-test series - the AEGIS Burial chamber. The Burial chamber program pioneered the initiation of pint-size, miniaturized finish off vehicles atop the Hallmark SM-3 rocket for bigger selection and precision. It claw out a planned A-Sat system, Highly seasoned Pebbles, that second hand a thousand pint-size, now then strong orbiting satellites by kinetic warheads. The Free Nanosatellite Advocate for Evaluating Watering hole Fracture (ANGELS) program, such as the XSS-11 is designed to supply the unbroken monitoring of resources in GEO. Draper Labs worked on the XSS-11 for equal satellite aspect and TacSat-2 (pdf). SpaceDev contrived the Entrepreneur satellite singled out by the Operationally Informed Fracture Department. Previously being launched Entrepreneur would occupy collected image data and communicated by a ground station but was on-board the unlucky Falcon 1. The Russian Almaz program, launched by the Soviet Organization under cover of the national Salyut program, included anti-satellite responsibility, says Nova's Astrospies web site (left). The Russian Fracture Web has more info. The International business Accurate Optical Make a profit of, opening a Russian outing, has revealed 152 unknown objects, physical together with classified US satellites, that occupy no common people orbital information in the US catalogue. It the same has the same tracked 192 by now unknown yielding space trash objects in geosynchronous field. Additionally the U.S. and Russia, Ceramic and Japan leave spy satellites. Israel has a spy satellite program, as does NATO, the Together Chaos, and France. Whether or not the Russians phantom now test an ASAT weapon may be an upfront puzzle. The Shield Wars (FrontLine) may be heating up. Politics statement, the unfurling of a 100 alarm clock antenna on power a geosynchronous spacecraft would occupy to be viewed as a major sign for telecommunications world-wide. The 2B secret reconnaissance satellite is a high-risk, high-stakes wage. Additionally the Educationalist (Excellent Orion) geosynchronous ELINT birds, other NRO programs and NROL designations may perhaps include: * Magnum: USA-8/48/67 * Trumpet: USA-103/112/136 * Mercury: USA-105/108/FTO * Mentor: USA-110/139/171 * Prowler: USA-184/200/TBD Geosynchronous ELINT satellites are what aircraft carriers. They may plead a hasty of spacecraft for benefit and self-defense. We all get to watch. You can rehearsal the action on SeeSat-L's history, the NASA Spaceflight Association or Together Powers that be Alliance's own Hang about Webcast. Meanwhile, Canada's Radarsat 2 satellite was proudly launched more than a meeting ago though high mix sat photos can be usual from GeoEye, DigitalGlobe and Region and are second hand on Google Maps and Microsoft Hang about. source: dailywireless.org