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So is this just a rapidly deployable surveillance platform? What's the advantage over existing spy satellites?

by wwarren 12y ago

ZoFreX 12y ago
Presumably that it can move around. Satellites don't carry much fuel and you can't keep repositioning them, so to get surveillance over an area you have to wait for a satellite to be above it. Presumably this thing as it is a plane, and also because it returns to Earth after a relatively short time to pick up more fuel, can reposition much more rapidly.
- pokstad 12y ago
  I think another possibility may be the repairing of friendly satellites and spying on enemy satellites. Flying up to an enemy satellite without interrupting it may not break any treaties. The space shuttle was originally built with the intention to repair and launch spy satellites. This vehicle went into service around the same time the shuttle was being retired. Also, there may be some sort of metric being recorded that requires physical retrieval because of lack of bandwidth. Older satellites actually dumped film for later retrieval.
akbar501 12y ago
> What's the advantage over existing spy satellites? The first nukes in a large scale war will be detonated in space to eliminate communication, spy, and other satellites. If an opposing force has a successful 1st strike then a rapidly deployable surveillance platform to re-establish our capabilities would be highly valuable.
- Sven7 12y ago
  Large scale war? Give me a break. The white flags will go up as soon as people loose access to their facebook streams or hackernews for that matter.
  - akbar501 12y ago
    I never said that it would be a popular war...just large scale. Just because something is not popular with the majority of a population (loss of FB) does not mean it cannot/will not happen. Even in a democracy. I must ask. > Large scale war? Give me a break. Are you suggesting that large scale war cannot ever happen in the future. That it's completely outside the realm of possibility? Is it an impossibility?
    - Sven7 12y ago
      "Large scale wars" happen when both sides are equally balanced in resources. When was the last time that happened?
- pjc50 12y ago
  .. followed by the other nukes detonating above cities as soon as they complete their ballistic trajectories. A "limited" nuclear war is an absurdity, and it's dangerous to even think that it might be possible let alone end in anything other than massive destruction.

So is this just a rapidly deployable surveillance platform? What's the advantage over existing spy satellites?

by wwarren 12y ago

So is this just a rapidly deployable surveillance platform? What's the advantage over existing spy satellites?

Presumably that it can move around. Satellites don't carry much fuel and you can't keep repositioning them, so to get surveillance over an area you have to wait for a satellite to be above it. Presumably this thing as it is a plane, and also because it returns to Earth after a relatively short time to pick up more fuel, can reposition much more rapidly.

pokstad 12y ago
I think another possibility may be the repairing of friendly satellites and spying on enemy satellites. Flying up to an enemy satellite without interrupting it may not break any treaties. The space shuttle was originally built with the intention to repair and launch spy satellites. This vehicle went into service around the same time the shuttle was being retired. Also, there may be some sort of metric being recorded that requires physical retrieval because of lack of bandwidth. Older satellites actually dumped film for later retrieval.

akbar501 12y ago

> What's the advantage over existing spy satellites? The first nukes in a large scale war will be detonated in space to eliminate communication, spy, and other satellites. If an opposing force has a successful 1st strike then a rapidly deployable surveillance platform to re-establish our capabilities would be highly valuable.

Sven7 12y ago
Large scale war? Give me a break. The white flags will go up as soon as people loose access to their facebook streams or hackernews for that matter.
- akbar501 12y ago
  I never said that it would be a popular war...just large scale. Just because something is not popular with the majority of a population (loss of FB) does not mean it cannot/will not happen. Even in a democracy. I must ask. > Large scale war? Give me a break. Are you suggesting that large scale war cannot ever happen in the future. That it's completely outside the realm of possibility? Is it an impossibility?
  - Sven7 12y ago
    "Large scale wars" happen when both sides are equally balanced in resources. When was the last time that happened?
pjc50 12y ago
.. followed by the other nukes detonating above cities as soon as they complete their ballistic trajectories. A "limited" nuclear war is an absurdity, and it's dangerous to even think that it might be possible let alone end in anything other than massive destruction.