USAF Space Chief Outs Classified Spy Sat Program

[bananas]

Source: Aviation Week

The U.S. Air Force is planning to launch two new and previously classified space situational awareness satellites into geosynchronous orbit this year, according to Gen. William Shelton, who leads Air Force Space Command.

<snip>

The first two spacecraft will be boosted this year with two more to follow in 2016 to prevent a gap in surveillance on activities in the geosynchronous belt, Shelton said at the annual Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando. This is where commercial satellite communications are based, as well as critical national security assets such as the Space-Based Infrared System (Sbirs) early missile warning system and Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) constellation designed to provide jam-proof communications for the president even during a nuclear event.

“One cheap shot” against Sbirs or AEHF would be “devastating” to the Pentagon’s capabilities, Shelton said of a potential anti-satellite attack.

<snip>

Declassification was cleared by authorities in the U.S. government, in part to provide a deterrent effect to adversaries seeking to conduct hostile activities in space, according to a defense official. Also, the White House has said it will provide transparency as part of its space policy. Activities, especially of a maneuverable satellite in geosynchronous orbit, are detectable by allies and adversaries. Thus, releasing at least minimal information is a nod toward transparency and, potentially, aimed at quelling concerns that the capability will be viewed as offensive, the defense official said.

GSAP is, however, likely to be viewed by Russia and China as potentially hostile and could ignite a global debate about appropriate uses of space for military purposes.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_02_21_2014_p0-666050.xml

[bananas]

1. New Spy Satellites Revealed By Air Force; Will Watch Other Sats

http://breakingdefense.com/2014/02/new-spy-satellites-revealed-by-air-force-will-watch-other-sats/

New Spy Satellites Revealed By Air Force; Will Watch Other Sats
By Colin Clark on February 21, 2014 at 2:39 PM

AFA WINTER, ORLANDO: The Air Force revealed today the existence of a new set of classified electro-optical satellites — the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSAP) — designed to spot other satellites and space debris.

What effect might this have on nations, such as, say, China, who realize the enormous military advantage that space provides the United States?

Brian Weedon, one of the few people around who speaks space fluently and doesn’t have a dog in this fight, said the new satellites appear to resemble an upgraded version of DARPA’s MiTEx (Micro-satellite Technology Experiment) satellite. They were reportedly used, among other things, to get close to and observe satellites.

The new G-SAP satellites may raise Chinese or Russian hackles, Weedon thinks.

<snip>

One of the really intriguing questions that we can’t answer yet is why Gen. Shelton released this information now, and why at AFA? Presumably the decision to declassify the existence of G-SAP was made at the White House level, probably an interagency decision involving the the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the State Department, Defense Department, Director of National Intelligence.

Unless these satellites are as small as MiTEx, they would be visible to observers like Ted Molczan, a keen observer in Canada who is part of a group of enthusiasts who track spy satellites using hard-won knowledge of launches, orbital modeling and telescopes. So the government might have wanted to forestall a “gotcha” moment if news reports had broken word of the satellites after launch.

<snip>

[JDPriestly]

3. Just a guess.

Maybe it is a warning to China and Russia: Just don't even bother to try it.

[awoke_in_2003]

5. When we had satellites...

that had ground penetrating radar, they released a picture of the underground aquifiers around the Nile. It was a subtle way to tell the USSR that they couldn't hide their silos.

[bananas]

2. Shelton Discloses Previously Classified Surveillance Satellite Effort

http://www.spacenews.com/article/military-space/39578shelton-discloses-previously-classified-surveillance-satellite-effort

Shelton Discloses Previously Classified Surveillance Satellite Effort
By Mike Gruss | Feb. 21, 2014

<snip>

Shelton has repeatedly stressed the importance of space surveillance as the orbital environment becomes more congested and potential threats grow. He has also said one of his top priorities is to launch a follow-on to the Space Based Space Surveillance satellite, which keeps tabs on the geosynchronous belt.

<snip>

According to a manifest maintained by NASA, it appears the system would launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket in the fourth quarter of 2014. Shelton said two satellites would launch this year and two replacement satellites would launch in 2016.

“The system will also have the ability to do relatively close-up inspections and analysis of other people’s satellites” in geostationary orbit, said Brian Weeden, technical adviser at the Secure World Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to space sustainability. “They are exactly the kind of systems the U.S. military has expressed significant concerns about other countries or commercial companies deploying,” he said.

[bananas]

4. Secure World Foundation: Why Care About Space Sustainability?

The articles quote Brian Weeden, technical adviser at the Secure World Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to space sustainability.

From the Secure World Foundation website:

http://www.swfound.org/space-sustainability-101/why-care-about-space-sustainability/

Why Care About Space Sustainability?

In a world inundated with many complex and urgent problems, why does space sustainability matter? If outer space is not safe, secure and peaceful, the ability to use it could be denied to all. We would be unable to use the space environment for national security purposes, Earth observation, telecommunications (including financial transactions, internet, telephone, data transfer and television), navigation, scientific exploration, or economic development. Indeed, human spaceflight in Earth orbit could come to an end. Lack of sustainability would mean that emerging space countries, especially, could face insurmountable problems in using outer space effectively. Addressing the need for space sustainability now means we can prevent negative trends from becoming norms, and ensure that outer space can be used by all countries, not just technologically sophisticated ones.

[randome]

6. How can it be classified AND previously classified?

The headline sounds sexier, I guess.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You have to play the game to find out why you're playing the game. -Existenz[/center][/font][hr]

[psychopomp]

7. Interesting...

Presidents have a fine line to walk with regard to the militarization of space. It's a slippery slope but it has to be incredibly tempting.