From my understanding, the most capable spy satellites are either in geostationary orbit or polar orbits.
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Geo orbit gets you constant survalance but in limited areas
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Polar orbit gets you almost anywhere but only periodic survalance while you wait for the orbit to process.
So this can be good for getting somewhere you don’t typically monitor in real time or to get quicker more real time info on a target.
Also, a big threat the government is worried about right now is the physical saftey of space assets. If someone launches a space weapon and takes out a spy satellite, I can see how the government would want a good fallback
abhibeckert@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Everyone knows exactly where the satellites are and certain (potential) enemies have the capability to disrupt/destroy them.
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Plus at Mach 10, there’s little time between target acquisition, firing solution, launch, even with Mach-teen missiles.
It’s not like missiles have unlimited range.
Plus being unmanned it likely could manuever much faster, since it doesn’t have to consider sacks of jelly, just airframe capability.
Of course, I’m just speculating. Though range and relative speeds are what the 71 relied on to not be shot down too.
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 10 months ago
I seriously doubt this thing can maneuver when traveling at its operational speed. Air resistance would be like hitting a brick wall, it would rip apart. Of course it can probably just fly past everything so fast that it doesn’t matter, including air intercept missiles.
It must just eat fuel. I wonder what its expected operating range is. I bet it has to refuel inflight as soon as it gets off the ground and up to cruising altitude, before it can go do anything useful.