Shoot Down a Spy Satellite?

[lI1|1!]

let the guide you

[catbirdseat]

Actually, these programs are fairly transparent by military standards. There are really no hidden agendas or technologies at the moment in the entire 'star wars' portfolio because the problems are very hard, they require and depend on a great deal of public sector research, and the shoots are all very public affairs. There is essentially none of the secrecy that there is in the otherwise highly successful military satellite sector. The vast majority of the secrecy in the 'star wars' portfolio is around the fact the technology does not really work and none of it will ever be able to shield our nation from a real nuclear missile attack.

 

The reasons for this shoot are almost entirely political. The Aegis BMD and SM-3 being used have been up and running for awhile with at least a reasonable single target kill rate in highly scripted test shots where the testers controlled both the kill and target vehicles. The only interesting aspect of this shoot - and likely why they want to do it - is that it is by its very nature essentially unscripted - they have no control over the target 'vehicle'.

 

[ Note: on looking at the SM-3 specs, it is a specialized version of the SM series with a kinetic warhead (with no explosives) so there is no danger of a conventional warhead coming back down, just a very dense chunk of metal designed to destroy things on impact. ]

Even without the explosives, I'd bet you would know it if the warhead came down on your head.

[JosephH]

Google "rods from god" and "smart spears"...

[Crux]

By the generic news clip over the radio a minute ago, just heard the announced plan for the three-staged missile to be launched from a Navy cruiser is to hit the fuel tank of the satellite.

[billcoe]

By the generic news clip over the radio a minute ago, just heard the announced plan for the three-staged missile to be launched from a Navy cruiser is to hit the fuel tank of the satellite.

 

Not the lower left side of the fuel tank? Sigh, sounds like them boyz need to put down the bong and get some more training.

 

Update: Missile was reported to have hit target. It will take a day to determine if the fuel tank was hit or just the National recon satellite in general, however, while you wait for this tidbit, be aware that parts and chunks of metal are now slowly heading your way....but most will burn up before they get to your house.

[JosephH]

No one in any agency or program could give a rat's ass about the hydrazine or the fuel tank - that part is the politics. Hydrazine has been coming down in satellites for decades with nary a word of warning. This has nothing whatsoever to do with hydrazine and everything about PR for 'star wars' programs and an ill-advised word to the wise to the Chinese and Russians.

 

Oh, and the real joke is the Chinese shot down their satellite with technology they got from US defense contractors eager to use the Chinese missiles to launch their tcommercial satellites. That started in '86 when Reagan thought using Chinese missiles for our satellites would be a good idea. Then every president from then on granted waivers for the launches despite the fact it was common knowledge sensitive data was being exchanged in the competitive horse trading. Go team...

[Fairweather]

Like when Clinton gave permission for Loral Space & Communications to transfer rocket (missile) staging/decoupling technology to the Chinese in exchange for $200,000 in campaign contributions? The Chinese were bringing dud rockets down on small cities before they figured it out...compliments of Ron Brown and Bill Clinton. Forget about blowjobs! That fucker should be behind bars for treason.

[Crux]

We got hydrazine icing on political cake

We got Fairyweather bitchin' Willie was on the take

We say one and one and one is three

One thing I can tell you is Bush ain't gonna be free

[JosephH]

Actually, Reagan set it all in motion after the Challenger accident along with a string of US launch failures. That and it made the Russians nervous which he also liked. Waivers entered the picture after Tiananmen and were issued by Bush and Clinton while no shortage of money traded hands all the way around. And the Loral episode was one of several with Boeing and Hughes getting dirty with aid and dollars as well. This really isn't a dem / rep specific issue per se. Overall this was more a tale of big corporations chasing a new telcom business, quarterly reports, and insurance costs than of deliberate espionage.

 

Bush Sr. signed three waivers for nine lauches presented to him really setting the precedent and building the launch business in China up to the level of a gold rush. In fact, when the sale of three communications satellites to China was announced in 1989 after Bush Sr. took office it turns out uncle Prescott Bush made $250,000 on the deal as a 'consultant'. For sure, the Chinasat 8 waiver came under dubious circumstances and was ill-advised at best - but one has to also understand the context that there was also a lot of pressure after having already lost three very expensive US satellites on Long March 3B's.

 

The pressure to do whatever was necessary not lose a fourth was enormous and the interests involved crossed the repub / dem as it was threatening the pace of the whole telcom business once everyone was vested in Chinese launches. Ditto on the insurance policies. Loral did what W's chronies have raised to a high art - they threw money at the problem. It was a classic case of corporate America not able to see beyond quarterly reports and doing anything to avoid a bad quarter. When you mix capitalism and greed with military matters it's never pretty and you know how it's going to play out in advance - just look at Iraq.

 

And if we're going to try anyone for treason then Clinton would be at the end of a long line behind Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith, and Rove. The damage this adminstration has deliberately inflicted on our nation's security for the sake of fantasy and cash far, far eclipses the totality of Clinton's meager indiscretions. If I were to try him for anything - it would be for lack of self-discipline and setting the stage for W to 'win' the Whitehouse. The members of this administration are traitors almost to a man - with the only excuse they can offer is they were chasing a fairy tale.

 

P.S. And Schwartz gave more like $630k - a fraction of the costs associated with losing a complex comsat on launch - a bargain for him.

[mattp]

I gotta say, Joseph, it is pretty funny to see the "fair and balanced" Fairweather write that Clinton should be tried for treason in connection with anything related to arms peddling or weakening U.S. security.