Author Topic: Russia to build submarine-detecting satellite (Read 7473 times)

ostangen · « **on:** 04/16/2010 08:05 am »

Russia to build submarine-detecting satellite

Russia could build a satellite for the detection and tracking of submarines from space, a defense industry spokesman said on Thursday.

Vladimir Boldyrev, of the Kosmonit science and technology center, said the group had developed a space satellite module that could carry out remote sensing of the sea and "detect submerged submarines."

"Hopefully, it will be tested in space as early as 2011," he said, adding that work on the module started over a decade ago.

He offered no indication as to when the new satellite would enter service with the Russian Armed Forces.

Boldyrev added that the dual-use module would be used for both defense and civilian purposes, in particular, providing meteorological data.

MOSCOW, April 15 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100415/158597419.html

Blackstar · « **Reply #1 on:** 04/16/2010 02:32 pm »

We've been here before. I believe that the Russians hinted even decades ago that they could detect submarines via satellite. But everything I've seen indicates that the only realistic way to do it is to use radar to detect the surface bulge caused by a submarine traveling at high speed and shallow depth. In such a condition a submarine will produce a slight wave above the surface. A satellite to do this would have to be in low orbit and therefore would quickly move out of range. So your chances of getting lucky and detecting something are incredibly small. It's just not feasible.

ostangen · « **Reply #2 on:** 04/16/2010 06:29 pm »

More info here about the satellite.

http://www.gisa.ru/62320.html and here http://www.vz.ru/news/2010/4/15/393415.html

"Konopus-ST which, after injection into orbit will be able to carry out remote sensing of the ocean, surface and underwater light environment and to detect submarines in the submerged"

Gene DiGennaro · « **Reply #3 on:** 04/16/2010 06:41 pm »

Perhaps a Russian version of NASA's LIDAR experiment. See below:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/LITE.html

Wasn't it used to detect hidden underground Mayan ruins? I don't know how well LIDAR would work "seeing" through water.

edkyle99 · « **Reply #4 on:** 04/16/2010 08:51 pm »

Quote from: Blackstar on 04/16/2010 02:32 pm

We've been here before. I believe that the Russians hinted even decades ago that they could detect submarines via satellite. But everything I've seen indicates that the only realistic way to do it is to use radar to detect the surface bulge caused by a submarine traveling at high speed and shallow depth. In such a condition a submarine will produce a slight wave above the surface. A satellite to do this would have to be in low orbit and therefore would quickly move out of range. So your chances of getting lucky and detecting something are incredibly small. It's just not feasible.

Here's a U.S. patent for a similar-sounding idea. The idea isn't to track the relatively tiny submarine, but the much bigger wake left by the sub. In this case, the laser is on a second, searching submarine.

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/4893924/description.html

- Ed Kyle

AnalogMan · « **Reply #5 on:** 04/16/2010 09:59 pm »

Quote from: ostangen on 04/16/2010 06:29 pm

... able to carry out remote sensing of the ocean, surface and underwater light environment and to detect submarines in the submerged"

Sounds like it might be aiming to detect bioluminescent plankton - they emit light when disturbed, which the wake of a submarine does quite nicely with the vortices it generates. And wakes are quite long-lived structures.

Of course this only works where the plankton occur naturally, and mapping the oceans for them is of great interest.