click on the image for a larger version The currently active US early warning satellites, SBIRS and DSP: each satellite is removed one at a time to highlight its individual coverage. Orbits have been determined by the amateur satellite observer network, see-sat, with particular thanks to Mike McCants, Greg Roberts, Peter Wakelin, and Scott Campbell …
Posture Commission Interim Report
by | 2008-12-16 | 7 Comments
The Strategic Posture Commission has released its interim report. For what it is worth, I think Hans K has it backward. The report doesn’t “reinstate Russia at the center of U.S. nuclear thinking” as he suggets, so much as it observes the reality that US strategic planning has not moved on from a Russia-centric model— …
SBIRS HEO 2 Checkout Picture
by | 2008-12-16 | 8 Comments
The image on the left is a simulation of the Delta II powered trajectory in GoogleEarth, the red portion is the solid rocket boosters; the image on the right is the actual SBIRS photo with the outline of Florida highlighted. The US Air Force released the on-orbit checkout picture for SBIRS HEO 2 on 20 …
SBIRS— Signal and Background
by | 2008-12-15 | 3 Comments
Before analyzing the two SBIRS–HEO images, its necessary to review a little of phenomenology associated with viewing rocket plumes in the infrared. That’s because there are some surprising effects that show up very well in both these photos that, perhaps, most people would not be aware of. In particular, I’m thinking of the “trough” a …
