Lockheed Martin submitted its proposal today for the next phase of Space Fence, a program that will revamp the way the U.S. Air Force identifies and tracks objects in space.
Space Fence will use S-band ground-based radars to provide the Air Force with uncued detection, tracking and accurate measurement of space objects, primarily in low-earth orbit. The geographic separation and the higher wave frequency of the new Space Fence radars will allow for the detection of much smaller microsatellites and debris than current systems. Additionally, Lockheed Martin’s Space Fence design will significantly improve the timeliness with which operators can detect space events which could present potential threats to GPS satellites or the International Space Station.
I wonder what other uses this can be put to. I’m sure there’s a lot we are not being told.
I’ve related this before, but it’s something to think about.
The Hubble telescope is the best spy satellite we have.
While I was at UCLA I talked with a couple astrophysicist who were bemoaning their loss of Hubble time because the military co-oped the telescope to observe in real time Soviet troop movements in eastern Europe during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
@Ah_Yea Lets try it the other way. How about giving some SpySats something cool to do like a bit of scientific research!
#2 they have. They mapped the underwater rivers in Egypt among other things.
Of course this was done and released to the public to show the USSR that they couldn’t hide stuff underground from us but was still useful scientific data.
#1…I smell the BS from here!
http://hubblesite.org/reference_desk/faq/all.php.cat=topten
Can Hubble take pictures of Earth?
The surface of the Earth is whizzing by as Hubble orbits, and the pointing system, designed to track the distant stars, cannot track an object on the Earth. The shortest exposure time on any of the Hubble instruments is 0.1 seconds, and in this time Hubble moves about 700 meters, or almost half a mile. So a picture Hubble took of Earth would be all streaks.
To find images of Earth from other sources in space go to The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of the Earth: http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/
Can I ask a theoretical question?
I understand a fair bit of tech and sci, but what happens to the magnetosphere when you PUMP radio signals thru it?
We’ll soon need to begin addressing how to clear out the skies of all this debris and junk, otherwise we’ll come to point where essential satellites will not longer be able to launch and work safely. It’s bad enough that the ISS routinely needs to reorient often, not unlike swerving to avoid road debris.
TruthBeTold,
Keep drinking the kool-aid! It’ll make you strong!
Two problems with your analysis.
1) You are taking the government’s word for it. Why? If it can be used as a SPY satellite, wouldn’t that mean they won’t tell you everything?
And more importantly,
2) The angle which the picture is being taken. The “all streaks” only applies if the Hubble is pointed straight down at the earth. The Hubble can also be pointed at the horizon. At that angle the objects are effectively coming straight toward or directly away from the telescope.
It may not be picture perfect, but certainly not a blur either. Good enough to spot troop movements, ship deployments, etc.
#4 I read a while back that the Hubble is nothing more than a KH-11 spy satellite pointed out towards deep space instead of the Earth, anyway.
Interestingly, IIRC all of this technology was originally developed in the mid-60s for the secret Manned Orbiting Laboratory project that the Air Force had; basically they were going to put a Gemini space capsule on top of a telescope with a small living/work area attached to it so that the astronauts could stay in orbit for weeks at a time. It never flew a mission, but the Soviets flew several missions of their own version called Almaz.
Alcoa stock up 34% this year. Must be a run on aluminum beanies.
I read a while back the gov tracks the “major” pieces of debris so we don’t launch our rockets into them–but, with so much up there I’m kinda surprised something hasn’t hit something. Or has it? Not known, or covered up as there is no solution?
Speaking of solutions, seems to me Ah Yea has the better argument over TruthbeTold. While knowing nothing, seems to me if the rotation of the earth is constant or otherwise knowable by way of a formula ((how else do we really “know” anything)) then applying that formula to a smeared photograph should make it razor sharp? But that whole rotational/speed/original design issue is a fun one to think about.
Science = always a solution.
http://celestrak.com/satcat/search.asp
You got it right, Bobbo!
With all the NSA satellites up there, why would you use the Hubble? The imaging sats are designed to track troop movements, etc. Why use an imperfect tool when so many perfect tools are around?
Then again, maybe they were not using the Hubble itself but were using the downstream bandwidth during a period of extremely heavy usage of the NSA sats.
Cap’nKangaroo,
It was a special case. Right at the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The more eyes the better sort of thing…
BTW, that’s why it was so upsetting to these astrophysicists. The Hubble went up in 1990, Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. The Hubble was fully requisitioned and these guys had been working and waiting for years to get their slot, just to get bumped with no recourse except to search for another slot – whenever that would be. Possibly years.
#13 They are the same thing. Whenever there is a new probe or space telescope developed it is actually being developed to point inwards.
One gets blasted to the stars, and then the rest are put into orbit pointed at the earth.
If we really have the capability to look through the clouds of Venus we might deploy that capability a bit more geo-strategically relevant, right?
I do think this is much more scientifically and economically stimulating than attacking random countries.
Sorry, I thought that picture at the top was the proposed solution.
This is hilarious! The warning at the bottom of the tread image is unintentionally brilliant.
It really does just say it all: “size of debris exaggerated as compared to Earth.”
First, we humans (mainly USA) helped to create this problem of space debris. Every satellite that went into space, had explosive bolts that separated it from its launch vehicle (a rocket). And various panels and doors were ejected off of manned vehicles, that went into orbit. And there was absolutely no thought of “environment impact”, down the road. Thank god the whole Star Wars, Reagan era defense plan fizzled out. Because we would have have tons more flying junk as a result, of satellite wars. And the whole idea of things in space having no other purpose than to destroy each other, and move warfare to near earth orbit. Which is just like having it in some third world country, were the big boys can play, and it doesn’t upset the general public back home. But it turns that remote battlefield into a wasteland and a minefield. In this case, a minefield in space.
And nobody has can come up with a way to clean it up or clear it of this debris, without making things worse. The only thing to do is map the debris, and follow its movement. Like some kind of metal storm or clouds of floating shrapnel. And every move into that region is planned according to a level of risk assessment. So there.
Calling it a “space fence” makes it sound like some kind of illegal immigrant problem, in space. Is aerospace jumping on the political bandwagon of current issues, just to squeeze more funds out of the taxpayers? “It’s not aerospace pollution, it’s an orbiting immigrant problem. We need a new fence.”
I don’t know why the Hubble satellite came up. But long ago I heard that they probably could have put three of them into a higher orbit, by using regular rocket delivery. Than using the Space Shuttle to fairy the one Hubble into such a low orbit, that the earth blocks much of its view. Three of them would have covered the whole universe, from an orbit higher than what the Shuttle could reach. But the whole thing was done for a political purpose, rather than a purely scientific one, to justify the Shuttle program. The Hubble has largely been used to justify the Shuttle’s expense to return to it and repair it. Until the ISS came along. Then NASA wanted to abandon the Hubble repairs, completely. The ISS is also probably in a lower orbit, to accommodate the Space Shuttle’s limited range, than would safe for a long term stay in space. It’s orbit will decay much sooner, than if it were located at one of the stable LaGrange points in space, like L4 or L5. And I doubt that’s were the ISS is, because it’s too high for the Shuttle to reach. But the ISS isn’t about science, it’s more aerospace budgeting theater. A few decades from now, when they retire the ISS. Somebody’s going to ask what they actually accomplished up there, all those years. And they won’t be given a straight answer. Anymore than we can get one today. The ISS is not even in the news anymore. What are they doing up there, other than patching holes left by flying debris?
The current space fence operates near 217 mHz with transmitters in Arizona, Texas, and Alabama. The Texas station operates with 768 kW radiated power and is purportedly the most powerful continuous wave (CW) station in the world. Receiving stations are located in California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Georgia. All stations are centered around 32 degrees North Latitude.
The wavelength of 217 mHz is around 4 1/2 feet. The wavelength of S-Band signals (2-4 gHz) is between 1/4 and 1/2 inch.
How can this possibly cost 3.5 Billion dollars? I suspect that a bunch of Ham Radio guys could build it in a long weekend using junkbox parts.
Force projection over the planet’s near space?
Nice job
enough metal in space to start a dyson sphere
Let’s see here. Obama proposes a missile shield for Europe to protect from Iran and then this comes out. How come this was a bad idea when Regan was president? Then Europe complained and now they want one of their own.
We are being “softened up” for something big.
#5 Pumping radio waves through the magnetic field of the earth does zip to the earth which is generating the field nor to the field itself.
The real issue is how much longer are we going to let this hazardous debris build up before we decide to use a heavy laser to vaporize some of it. The vapor might escape orbit or fall from orbit and even what stayed in orbit would be to diffuse to be a major threat.
Of course such a device could be used to terminate satellites…
Hubble’s original focus problems are rumored to be because it was launched in the macro mode. This allowed it to watch the USSR during a rough time.
Last I heard Telstar 1 is still in orbit. In 2012 it will have been orbiting for 50 years. It should make it to the end of (Mayan) time.
Speaking of Telstar
#25,
um, it causes nothing to happen?
I suggest you re-think that.
Think of a magnet and how to turn its force OFF/ON..
We are a giant geomagnetic BALL of magnetic particles. How/what would it take to disrupt this magnetic field. How about ANOTHER magnetic field or an electronic Pulse of freq modulated waves.
Many indoor pistol ranges have a thick steel shield at the back, to deflect the bullets down into sand. Why can’t some kind orbiting “dozer”, with a deflecting plate on the front, be used deflect all those rivets, screws, and paint chips, back the earth so they’ll burn up? The bigger stuff can be snagged, collected, and given a one-way ride to the ocean.
Eventually near space will need a serious cleaning up. And then future delivery vehicles will have to stop blowing fresh bits of metal into orbit, in order to release their payloads. These rocket scientists have been thoughtless polluters, for decades. Using a cheap solution, like exploding bolts, to get the job done. Now we have to spend millions to track all this flying junk they produced. And their only solution seems to be to make it worse, with missile shields and satellite killers. That explode enemy devices while still at their highest altitude. Obviously, the Aerospace lobby keeps at any and all Presidents, to increase their funding. And space garbage collecting isn’t sexy enough.