Any updates on the orbit of this bird with respect to the CRS-11 actual launch?
Quote from: Johnnyhinbos on 06/06/2017 02:34 pmAny updates on the orbit of this bird with respect to the CRS-11 actual launch?Close Encounters of the Classified Kind: a post-event analysis of the close approach of USA 276 to the ISS on June 3https://sattrackcam.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/close-encounters-of-classified-kinda.html
How about a worldview-3 copy, to provide resilience in case KH-11s and the Digital Globe birds are shot down?
Quote from: gosnold on 06/03/2017 08:19 pmHow about a worldview-3 copy, to provide resilience in case KH-11s and the Digital Globe birds are shot down?Worldview-3 weighed more than 6000lbs. The sensor package was a significant portion of that. Much more that the 500lb that X-37 can carry.
Plus it has not flown in the same orbits as the others so it couldn't provide any resilience.
Maybe I missed something, but what does X-37 have to do with NROL-76?
Quote from: gosnold on 06/03/2017 08:19 pmHow about a worldview-3 copy, to provide resilience in case KH-11s and the Digital Globe birds are shot down?Worldview-3 weighed more than 6000lbs. The sensor package was a significant portion of that. Much more that the 500lb that X-37 can carry.Plus it has in not flown in the same orbits as the others so it couldn't provide any resilience.
Marco Langbroek has a new post encounter analysis up:http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2017/06/close-encounters-of-classified-kinda.htmlI will say, I think this has been in the planning stages longer than the current admin has been in office so I doubt it had anything to do with NROL-76 and ISS's dance.
In recent days, Ars has run these observations by several officials and informed sources. They are credible, these officials say, and curious indeed. "This is strange," said one astronaut who has commanded the International Space Station. "I don't really believe in coincidences. But I can't really think of anything that would be worth highlighting a close approach."Deliberate or not?One expert in satellite launches and tracking, Jonathan McDowell, said of the satellite's close approach to the station, "It is not normal." While it remains possible that the near-miss was a coincidence due to the satellite being launched into similar orbit, that would represent "gross incompetence" on the part of the National Reconnaissance Office, he said. Like the astronaut, McDowell downplayed the likelihood of a coincidence.Another option is that of a deliberate close flyby, perhaps to test or calibrate an onboard sensor to observe something or some kind of activity on the International Space Station. "The deliberate explanation seems more likely, except that I would have expected the satellite to maneuver after the encounter," McDowell said. "But it seems to have stayed in the same orbit."Another question, if the maneuver was deliberate, is whether the US government informed Russia or other international partners on the space station. The Russian segment of the station controls the thrusters that generally are used to maneuver the station away from orbital debris, so such coordination might seem prudent.In regard to these questions, so far the US government has declined to provide answers. A NASA spokesman offered to look into the matter on Monday but as of Wednesday afternoon had nothing to say. A query sent to public affairs at the National Reconnaissance Office went unanswered. We will update this story if we receive any official responses.
My own take on this all is that I think it is possible, but not certain, that the close approach was deliberate and meant to test space-based technologies to monitor grapplings and berthings of third-party objects. If this is correct, I tend to see the coincidence of the flyby with the originally planned Dragon arrival, but also the sudden undocking of Cygnus OA-7 when Dragon CRS-11 was postponed, as related to the technology demonstration. The relevance of the other coincidences is more conjectural: I tend to see the rescheduling of astronaut Jack Fischer as likely unrelated, for example.
Dr Marco Langbroek @Marco_LangbroekWhat goes around comes around: spysat USA 276 will make another series of close approaches to the #ISS tomorrow: http://satobs.org/seesat/Jul-2017/0053.html
The Army has launched 10 small satellites since 2010 including three experimental communications satellites for the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command that launched in October as part of a National Reconnaissance Office mission. In addition, a small electro-optical imaging satellite known as Kestrel Eye, is expected to launch later this year or early next year from the International Space Station after it arrives via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.http://spacenews.com/army-hoping-for-new-smallsat-imaging-and-space-situational-sensors/
This first stage (B1032) appears to have been mothballed behind Hangar AM, presumably headed toward scrapping. This would be the first LEO mission recovered stage to be scrapped. Does anyone have insight that could explain why this stage suffered presumable damage? It landed safely at LZ-1. - Ed Kyle
Quote from: edkyle99 on 09/22/2017 09:21 pmThis first stage (B1032) appears to have been mothballed behind Hangar AM, presumably headed toward scrapping. This would be the first LEO mission recovered stage to be scrapped. Does anyone have insight that could explain why this stage suffered presumable damage? It landed safely at LZ-1. - Ed KyleI agree with your objection, Ed. According to this "General SpaceX Map" on Google Maps, part of the caption for the NROL-76 landing states that Core B1032 would be readied for a second mission. I have no clue why SpaceX changed their mind.https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wvgFIPuOmI8da9EIB88tHo9vamo&hl=en_US&ll=28.48566780000001%2C-80.5429709&z=8
Spacex has more flown boosters than it knows what to do with them and has been breaking them apart and scrapping them.
Records concerning the NROL-76 logo:https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/records-concerning-the-nrol-76-logo-37622/#file-154942
QuoteRecords concerning the NROL-76 logo:https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/records-concerning-the-nrol-76-logo-37622/#file-154942