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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Hobbes Patrol Headquarters <TYGER@****.WINONA.MSUS.EDU>
Subject: Sat's and motion
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 23:50:26 -0500
>I agree with your statement that most sats aren't manueverable. But most
>if not all recon sats would almost have to be manueverable. The reasons
>for this are so they can change to differnet targets and to avoid
>destruction.
> Tsunami....

Satelites while in orbit can roll, pitch & yaw into facing they like,
really. there's also a few types of orbiting. There's the 'parked' (over
one spot on the globe) there's against the rotation, with the rotation (of
Earth), bi-polar, so on & so forth.

Usually, the satelite contractor determines the orbit, relative to what
they want the thing to accomplish.

For global communications, 3 satelites work best. This way, you can get
communications no matter where you are (the Orbiter now uses this system, I
believe.)

Also, in working theory, if someone decided to shoot down a satelite, the
satelite would have little to no time to get out of the way. This is
assuming you can get a lock on one and actually hit it. Compared to a
country, a satelite is kinda small. (It's kinda like taking the left pinky
-nail off of a target at 100 meters. You can do it, it's just really
hard...)

Also, in micro-gravity, Newtons laws of motion are really strict. If
you've ever watched astronauts they tend not to move too fast. This keeps
them from going out of control. Same for satelites. If they change course
too quickly, something 'bad' can happen.

It's 11:50 PM. Time to get something to eat.

-Tyger
(PS:It's so rare that I get to use what I know in space sciences, I kinda
tend to go overboard. And also, I know NOTHING about military hardware.
So if I'm wrong, don't pound on me.)

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"It's not like talking with people. With people, anything can be said and
nothing matters. Words and words and words. You go to a party... people
sit around and say things. Anything. Just to talk. Put forth views and
debate them. Sometimes you get a new idea. Sometimes something changes"
-Luicifer
From "Virtual Realities"
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Message no. 2
From: Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@***.NEU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Sat's and motion
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 11:50:53 EDT
>>>>> "HPH" == Hobbes Patrol Headquarters
<TYGER@****.Winona.MSUS.EDU>
>>>>> writes:

>> I agree with your statement that most sats aren't manueverable. But
>> most if not all recon sats would almost have to be manueverable.
>> The reasons for this are so they can change to differnet targets
>> and to avoid destruction.

HPH> Satelites while in orbit can roll, pitch & yaw into facing they
HPH> like, really. there's also a few types of orbiting. There's the
HPH> 'parked' (over one spot on the globe) there's against the
HPH> rotation, with the rotation (of Earth), bi-polar, so on & so
HPH> forth.

The 'parked' orbit is called 'geosynchronous'.

HPH> Also, in working theory, if someone decided to shoot down a
HPH> satelite, the satelite would have little to no time to get out of
HPH> the way. This is assuming you can get a lock on one and actually
HPH> hit it. Compared to a country, a satelite is kinda small. (It's
HPH> kinda like taking the left pinky -nail off of a target at 100
HPH> meters. You can do it, it's just really hard...)

No, it's kind of like taking the left pinky-nail off of a target at
100 meters when the left pinky-nail is surrounded by hundreds of
thousand of right pinky-nails. There's a lot of junk flying around up
there.

HPH> Also, in micro-gravity, Newtons laws of motion are really strict.
HPH> If you've ever watched astronauts they tend not to move too fast.
HPH> This keeps them from going out of control. Same for satelites.
HPH> If they change course too quickly, something 'bad' can happen.

That really depends on the nature of the satelite. If it has fuel and
thrusters to alter it's course, then it will usually have enough to
resume course within a couple of orbits.

Rat <ratinox@***.neu.edu> Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat
PGP Public Key Block available upon request Ask about rat-pgp.el v1.61
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--Blue Oyster Cult, (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Message no. 3
From: Chris Siebenmann <cks@********.UTCS.TORONTO.EDU>
Subject: Re: Sat's and motion
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1993 13:10:54 -0400
Note that satellites are really, really easy to find and track.
The best way to hide a recon satellite in the future is going to
be bolting it onto a normal satellite, or other camoflage. And
there's always the 'who knows' idea, where people can see that
there's an object up there but you don't tell them what it is.

- cks

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