5 ms·

Recon aircraft still exist. The USAF for example still operates U2 planes. Satellites lack the critical ability to stay in place and cannot necessarily move to

Recon aircraft still exist. The USAF for example still operates U2 planes. Satellites lack the critical ability to stay in place and cannot necessarily move to a designated spot at short notice. While spy satellites are certainly more maneuverable than regular satellites, they still must obey orbital physics, a plane is not bound to those restrictions.

melling 9y ago
How maneuverable are you at 6000 mph? You’ll flyover the US in 30 minutes.
- Xylakant 9y ago
  You don’t need to fly 6000mph, however. Planes have the ability to adjust their speed, satellites don’t.
  - melling 9y ago
    Sure, and at what speed to you become a target to local missiles? I’d like to see a hypersonic plane for the engineering it will solve, but I think as a spy plane, it has limited utility.
    - Xylakant 9y ago
      It’s not like satellite killer missiles would be a new thing, they’ve been developed since the 1950s
      - melling 9y ago
        Space isn’t owned by anyone. You are legally allowed to have satellites over another country. Flying over another country is completely different.
        Xylakant 9y ago
        Which is why the USAF never had a plane shot down over the USSR as Gary Powers will certainly be glad to confirm. It’s also the reason no US planes ever fly over Syria, Irak, Afghanistan, Pakistan or any of the numerous conflict zones that the US is involved in. Also note: My point is not that satellites are useless, they are much more useful for continuous spying and surveillance, but there are numerous mission profiles that a plane can fulfill much better.
        melling 9y ago
        You’re all over the place. We are now allowed to overfly Russia. http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/news/a26026/russian-military-plane-overfly-us-canada/ http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/news/a2602... When you control the sky’s you don’t need to fly at 6000 mph. We have bases in Pakistan and Afghanistan, for example. Which mission profiles are you describing that are actually needed to fly at hypersonic speed? A lot of these countries are quite small for that speed. A 100 miles a minute.
        Xylakant 9y ago
        I’m pointing out that the legality of overflying a country has always been and still is a lesser concern. Mission profiles better suited to a plane than a satellite: anything that requires loitering, returning to a target, anything that requires a curved path that a satellite cannot fly or anything that requires close up - optics on satellites are good, but fundamental physics limits the achievable resolution. Hypersonic speed might not be required to fulfill the actual mission, but it allows shorter response times on all spots. It also would allow evading most intercept attempts.
        Alupis 9y ago
        Typically above 60,000ft (FL600) is considered to be outside of a nation's airspace[1] (by ICAO at least) - which is one of the reasons why the U2 was designed to cruise at 60,000-70,000ft (FL600-FL700). The SR-71 could cruise up to 85,000ft (FL850). So, technically and at least according to ICAO, these birds flew/fly above a nation's sovereign airspace. That doesn't stop a nation-state from attempting to down one of these birds, of course. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspace
- kevin_thibedeau 9y ago
  You deploy autonomous drones that will loiter for an extended period.
- vpribish 9y ago
  our existing spy planes and drones are subsonic and work just fine loitering over poorly-defended targets. stealthy or speedy aircraft could work over more hostile places and add to the satellite capabilities. Maybe there are things you can sense from 10 miles up that you can't at 100mi. And maybe there's some brand new gear that you don't have in space yet. And maybe you want to time your picture with some unpredictable events on short notice. there are a ton of reasons to have this variety of capabilities.
- CapitalistCartr 9y ago
  With a roll of film nearly a foot wide and lenses that can pick a gnat off a flea pointed at the target, the pilot can get instructions in the air immediately before penetrating "contested" airspace and get crystal pics of everything on the fly at any speed he wishes. Max potential velocity over the target is mainly to insure survivability; it doesn't affect photo performance.
- mulmen 9y ago
  That's exactly the point. If an unexpected threat pops up you can get there now.

melling 9y ago

How maneuverable are you at 6000 mph? You’ll flyover the US in 30 minutes.

Xylakant 9y ago
You don’t need to fly 6000mph, however. Planes have the ability to adjust their speed, satellites don’t.
- melling 9y ago
  Sure, and at what speed to you become a target to local missiles? I’d like to see a hypersonic plane for the engineering it will solve, but I think as a spy plane, it has limited utility.
  - Xylakant 9y ago
    It’s not like satellite killer missiles would be a new thing, they’ve been developed since the 1950s
    - melling 9y ago
      Space isn’t owned by anyone. You are legally allowed to have satellites over another country. Flying over another country is completely different.
      - Xylakant 9y ago
        Which is why the USAF never had a plane shot down over the USSR as Gary Powers will certainly be glad to confirm. It’s also the reason no US planes ever fly over Syria, Irak, Afghanistan, Pakistan or any of the numerous conflict zones that the US is involved in. Also note: My point is not that satellites are useless, they are much more useful for continuous spying and surveillance, but there are numerous mission profiles that a plane can fulfill much better.
        melling 9y ago
        You’re all over the place. We are now allowed to overfly Russia. http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/news/a26026/russian-military-plane-overfly-us-canada/ http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/news/a2602... When you control the sky’s you don’t need to fly at 6000 mph. We have bases in Pakistan and Afghanistan, for example. Which mission profiles are you describing that are actually needed to fly at hypersonic speed? A lot of these countries are quite small for that speed. A 100 miles a minute.
        Xylakant 9y ago
        I’m pointing out that the legality of overflying a country has always been and still is a lesser concern. Mission profiles better suited to a plane than a satellite: anything that requires loitering, returning to a target, anything that requires a curved path that a satellite cannot fly or anything that requires close up - optics on satellites are good, but fundamental physics limits the achievable resolution. Hypersonic speed might not be required to fulfill the actual mission, but it allows shorter response times on all spots. It also would allow evading most intercept attempts.
        Alupis 9y ago
        Typically above 60,000ft (FL600) is considered to be outside of a nation's airspace[1] (by ICAO at least) - which is one of the reasons why the U2 was designed to cruise at 60,000-70,000ft (FL600-FL700). The SR-71 could cruise up to 85,000ft (FL850). So, technically and at least according to ICAO, these birds flew/fly above a nation's sovereign airspace. That doesn't stop a nation-state from attempting to down one of these birds, of course. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspace
kevin_thibedeau 9y ago
You deploy autonomous drones that will loiter for an extended period.
vpribish 9y ago
our existing spy planes and drones are subsonic and work just fine loitering over poorly-defended targets. stealthy or speedy aircraft could work over more hostile places and add to the satellite capabilities. Maybe there are things you can sense from 10 miles up that you can't at 100mi. And maybe there's some brand new gear that you don't have in space yet. And maybe you want to time your picture with some unpredictable events on short notice. there are a ton of reasons to have this variety of capabilities.
CapitalistCartr 9y ago
With a roll of film nearly a foot wide and lenses that can pick a gnat off a flea pointed at the target, the pilot can get instructions in the air immediately before penetrating "contested" airspace and get crystal pics of everything on the fly at any speed he wishes. Max potential velocity over the target is mainly to insure survivability; it doesn't affect photo performance.
mulmen 9y ago
That's exactly the point. If an unexpected threat pops up you can get there now.