Pentagon Launches Spy Satellite as Concerns Mount Over Shutdown’s Impact (1 Viewer)

[JacksinPA]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pentag...impact-11547936852?tesla=y&mod=article_inline

With government shutdown dragging on, industry officials fret over delays to commercial and civilian launches

A large U.S. spy satellite was successfully launched into orbit Saturday from central California as concerns mounted that the continued government shutdown threatens to disrupt launch plans for future commercial, civilian and potentially even military payloads.

The Delta IV rocket carrying a classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 11:10 a.m. local time, with the 1.6-million-pound rocket’s main engines performing as expected and the upper stage igniting about six minutes...[paywall]
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The latest generation of spy satellites are bigger than a school bus & are similar in design to the Hubble Space Telescope. Unlike earlier generation satellites which used cameras & film that was returned to earth in capsules, the current generation employs very sensitive sold-state electro-optics to return images in real time via radio & relay satellites.

Delays in future scheduled space launches from California could negatively impact national security.

 

[Bodi]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pentag...impact-11547936852?tesla=y&mod=article_inline

With government shutdown dragging on, industry officials fret over delays to commercial and civilian launches

A large U.S. spy satellite was successfully launched into orbit Saturday from central California as concerns mounted that the continued government shutdown threatens to disrupt launch plans for future commercial, civilian and potentially even military payloads.

The Delta IV rocket carrying a classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 11:10 a.m. local time, with the 1.6-million-pound rocket’s main engines performing as expected and the upper stage igniting about six minutes...[paywall]
=====================================================
The latest generation of spy satellites are bigger than a school bus & are similar in design to the Hubble Space Telescope. Unlike earlier generation satellites which used cameras & film that was returned to earth in capsules, the current generation employs very sensitive sold-state electro-optics to return images in real time via radio & relay satellites.

Delays in future scheduled space launches from California could negatively impact national security.

We were driving down the 101 and saw it... Vandemberg is just a few miles off the highway... was awesome...

 

[Mycroft]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pentag...impact-11547936852?tesla=y&mod=article_inline

With government shutdown dragging on, industry officials fret over delays to commercial and civilian launches

A large U.S. spy satellite was successfully launched into orbit Saturday from central California as concerns mounted that the continued government shutdown threatens to disrupt launch plans for future commercial, civilian and potentially even military payloads.

The Delta IV rocket carrying a classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 11:10 a.m. local time, with the 1.6-million-pound rocket’s main engines performing as expected and the upper stage igniting about six minutes...[paywall]
=====================================================
The latest generation of spy satellites are bigger than a school bus & are similar in design to the Hubble Space Telescope. Unlike earlier generation satellites which used cameras & film that was returned to earth in capsules, the current generation employs very sensitive sold-state electro-optics to return images in real time via radio & relay satellites.

Delays in future scheduled space launches from California could negatively impact national security.

Can't read the whole article. Do they say why they think the shutdown could delay future launch plans?

 

[Deuce]

Can't read the whole article. Do they say why they think the shutdown could delay future launch plans?

The contracts are on hold.

 

[JacksinPA]

Can't read the whole article. Do they say why they think the shutdown could delay future launch plans?

Probably because so many different agencies & departments are affected. I can't read the article either.

The Air Force needs the ability to launch these spy satellites on short notice if there are major problems around the world. The airstrike I posted in Somalia was probably based on spy satellite imagery because it was so effective (55 killed). They had to know when these guys would be in one place for meals or prayer.

 

[Mycroft]

Probably because so many different agencies & departments are affected. I can't read the article either.

The Air Force needs the ability to launch these spy satellites on short notice if there are major problems around the world. The airstrike I posted in Somalia was probably based on spy satellite imagery because it was so effective (55 killed). They had to know when these guys would be in one place for meals or prayer.

Okay. You won't mind, I'm sure, if I dismiss this thread because nobody knows what they are talking about.

Moving on...

 

[Deuce]

Okay. You won't mind, I'm sure, if I dismiss this thread because nobody knows what they are talking about.

Moving on...

There's lots of factors.

Contracts are on hold. People building this stuff aren't being paid, so they're not working. NASA is partially shutdown, launch permits or changes to them aren't being processed.