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It's embarrassing that a satellite designed by the ESA can't be used over Europe. I've read other information about ICBM-detecting satellites being triggered b
by secondcoming 1y ago
It's embarrassing that a satellite designed by the ESA can't be used over Europe.
I've read other information about ICBM-detecting satellites being triggered by the sun glinting off lakes having the same signature as an ICBM launch.
Surely the orbit of this satellite will be well known and so false positives alarms can be ruled out?
I suppose it's possible that a bad actor could time a real ICBM launch to coincide with this satellite's orbit to defeat Early Warning Systems, but then again they could just launch submarine-based ICBMs from the southern equator.
- Jtsummers 1y ago> Surely the orbit of this satellite will be well known and so false positives alarms can be ruled out? It's not the physical presence of the satellite over the US that messes up (or could) ICBM detection, it's the operation of the satellite's radar system. That's why they have to turn off the radar when it's over the US and Europe.
- IAmBroom 1y agoExactly. It's like shining your headlights onto a bunch of people looking at the nighttime sky for constellations.