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It seems like it deliberately came close to the Starlink sat, but the "why" is still a good question.
by phkahler 9mo ago
It seems like it deliberately came close to the Starlink sat, but the "why" is still a good question.
- bell-cot 9mo agoA test of SpaceX's awareness & response would be ample reason.
- notahacker 9mo agoIf so, SpaceX's longer term response being "here's our SSA data for everyone and here's how we source it" is a good one for all parties involved (even more so for SpaceX and govt customers they share it with if they have other capabilities...)
- bell-cot 9mo agoSpeculation: SpaceX has considerably better data than what they disclose, and offer free of charge. The USSF enjoys full access to that better data, for $[TOP_SECRET]/month.
- notahacker 9mo agoWell we already know Starshield (the military version) has specialist space domain awareness capabilities that aren't being shared, and it's entirely plausible that data from regular Starlink sensors/receivers (other than the disclosed star trackers) can be fused into something useful by SpaceX and/or the Space Force.
- rkagerer 9mo agoWeapons test springs to mind, or as a sibling comment suggested a test of Starlink response capabilities. How confident are we the intent was nefarious? Do you ever see accidental near-misses with this type of flight profile?
- butvacuum 9mo agoThe system exists- ergo, people in the know are concerned about accidental collisions.
- jacquesm 9mo agoAlternative: the system exists, so people in the know may well have done proper risk assessment and may have identified multiple reasons that could result in a collision. Some of those reasons are accidental, some are not.