3 ms·

Anyone can look at those though, they can't really hide them

baq 8y ago
Not every hobbyist had access to 1m+ mirrors, though. I imagine you could take a reasonably revealing picture of eg an Orion: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_(satellite) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_(satellite)
- DoctorOetker 8y ago
  I don't understand this thread. Sure with enough effort and manpower you can prevennt your own civilians from discovering these. How would the US government stop civilian entities in say Russia or China from discovering these? I still see a marginal potential utility though: not showing adversaries that you have noticed their satellites (in order to prevent them from improving their stealth).
- hindsightbias 8y ago
  People have done a lot with less than 1m. http://www.satobs.org/telescope.html http://www.satobs.org/telescope.html https://satelliteobservation.net/2017/04/20/observing-satellites/ https://satelliteobservation.net/2017/04/20/observing-satell...
- adwi 8y ago
  I gasped when I read their main antenna is 330’ wide.
codewritinfool 8y ago
Not as easily if they're equipped with this: http://www.bisbos.com/space_misty.html http://www.bisbos.com/space_misty.html
- Cthulhu_ 8y ago
  Wouldn't that also obscure the camera? I don't actually know what spy sattelites would be used for besides visual imaging aimed at Earth.
  - na85 8y ago
    Could easily be intended not for visual surveillance but for gathering electromagnetic signals, where an inflatable dome would not be a problem.
codezero 8y ago
I worked on a project that happened to have some spy satellite data as noise... You can hide them. A common practice is to do an orbital maneuver when the satellite is directly between the Sun-Earth line-of-sight, where attempts to use instruments are pretty well saturated/destroyed. With that said, it is still possible to see where the satellites go after such a boost if you are able to look really close to the limb of the sun with the right kind of equipment :)

baq 8y ago

Not every hobbyist had access to 1m+ mirrors, though. I imagine you could take a reasonably revealing picture of eg an Orion: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_(satellite) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_(satellite)

DoctorOetker 8y ago
I don't understand this thread. Sure with enough effort and manpower you can prevennt your own civilians from discovering these. How would the US government stop civilian entities in say Russia or China from discovering these? I still see a marginal potential utility though: not showing adversaries that you have noticed their satellites (in order to prevent them from improving their stealth).
hindsightbias 8y ago
People have done a lot with less than 1m. http://www.satobs.org/telescope.html http://www.satobs.org/telescope.html https://satelliteobservation.net/2017/04/20/observing-satellites/ https://satelliteobservation.net/2017/04/20/observing-satell...
adwi 8y ago
I gasped when I read their main antenna is 330’ wide.

codewritinfool 8y ago

Not as easily if they're equipped with this: http://www.bisbos.com/space_misty.html http://www.bisbos.com/space_misty.html

Cthulhu_ 8y ago
Wouldn't that also obscure the camera? I don't actually know what spy sattelites would be used for besides visual imaging aimed at Earth.
- na85 8y ago
  Could easily be intended not for visual surveillance but for gathering electromagnetic signals, where an inflatable dome would not be a problem.

codezero 8y ago

I worked on a project that happened to have some spy satellite data as noise... You can hide them. A common practice is to do an orbital maneuver when the satellite is directly between the Sun-Earth line-of-sight, where attempts to use instruments are pretty well saturated/destroyed. With that said, it is still possible to see where the satellites go after such a boost if you are able to look really close to the limb of the sun with the right kind of equipment :)