Steeljaw Scribe

Notes and commentary on things present, reflections on a career in naval aviation and serendipitous items as strike me at the moment…

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Vanguard 1: Fifty Years Later

March 17th, 2008 1 Comment

   

Requirement: 1) place a satellite in orbit during the IGY; 2) accomplish a scientific experiment in orbit; 3) track the satellite and ensure its attainment of orbit.  Because of an ongoing classified program to put reconnaissance satellites in orbit (Project WS-117 using Air Force Thor MRBM’s - which later became the Korona-series of [...]

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The Shenlong Spaceplane: Hyperventilating Hypersonics or Real Threat?

January 15th, 2008 No Comments

"At a minimum, Washington should delay the planned 2010 retirement of the Space Shuttle until a new space plane can replace it, as a way to retain a deterring potential military capability. China’s unwillingness to comment on its military space plans, coupled with the Shenlong space plane, confirms its larger aversion to military transparency. The [...]

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The Problem With Debris: The ASAT Test One Year Later

January 9th, 2008 3 Comments

About this time last year (11 Jan), China conducted the now infamous direct-ascent ASAT (Anti-Satellite) hit-to-kill test.  We have written to some degree about it already - notably here and here.  Both articles describe the notorious aspect of the test - the addition of significant amounts of debris to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).  How much?  [...]

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“…that may have been a small one for Neil…”

November 19th, 2007 No Comments

November 19th, 1969:
115:22:16 Conrad: (As he lands) Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that’s a long one for me. (Pause)
    [Jones - "I understand that there was a bet on your saying that."]
    [Bean - "Who'd you bet?"]
    [Conrad - "You know who I bet."]
    [Bean - "Nope. I [...]

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Final DSP Satellite Lifted to Orbit on First Operational Delta IV Heavy Lift

November 13th, 2007 No Comments

 

The last of the 23-satellite Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites was lifted to orbit this past weekend on the newest heavy lift rocket in the US inventory. The Delta IV was developed as part of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program to replace the previous workhorse of US military and commercial heavy lift, the Titan-family. Consisting of [...]

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