Writing on ACW 2008–2010 · 142 posts
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click on the image for a larger version The Atlas V that carried the Solar Dynamics Observatory into orbit on 11 Feb. 2010 created shockwaves that rippled through a cloud layer. I’ve counted 11 distinct shockwaves, marked by arrows in…
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The February 11, 2010 test of the ALTB (the small, slightly horizontal blip on the right) against a target missile, the larger blip on the left. The target blip size is dominated by the exhaust plume.) On February 11th, 2010,…
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click on the image for a larger version The first three pieces of debris cataloged from the Yaogan 1 breakup are shown. The approximate time of the incident (2/4/10 at 6:49 UTC) was determined by “backtracking” the pieces. The fact…
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Iran’s aerospace program has been so active in the last few years it should be possible to say something about their development philosophy: the technological arc or trajectory they are following. For instance, why did they “jump” from SCUD-type missiles…
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click on the image for a larger version These two views show a target warhead 350 km directly above the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 7:45 pm (local time) on 11 January 2010. The image on the left shows what…
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click on the image for a larger version I’ve been working on a rather long piece about the recent Chinese Ballistic Missile Defense test but persistent reports of an eyewitness (complete with photos) have sidetracked me. These reports purport to…
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click on the image for a larger version The most recent satellite reported to be joining China’s constellation of Beidou navigation satellites is shown in yellow. An example of a geostationary Beidou satellite is shown in white and China’s one…
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Quite a few of my friends have been urging me to write something about the “new” images of Iran’s space center that have shown up recently on Google Earth. The trouble is, I hate rehashing stuff I wrote about almost…
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click on the image for a larger version Slide from a talk I gave on Capital Hill (sponsored by the AAAS) in March 2008. Media reports today indicate that China has tested “ground-based midcourse missile interception technology.” Details necessary for…
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Iran is justifiably proud of its satellite launch last February. After all, both North and South Korea failed in their satellite attempts in that same year. It appears from images that are starting to show up on the web—pointed out…
