Revealed: U.S. Air Force ‘neighborhood watch program’ to keep tabs on other countries’ spacecraft

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/23/revealed-u-s-air-force-neighborhood-watch-program-to-keep-tabs-on-other-countries-spacecraft/



Revealed: U.S. Air Force ‘neighborhood watch program’ to keep tabs on other countries’ spacecraft
By Reuters
Sunday, February 23, 2014 7:08 EST

The United States plans to launch a pair of satellites to keep tabs on spacecraft from other countries orbiting 22,300 miles above the planet, as well as to track space debris, the head of Air Force Space Command said.

The previously classified Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) will supplement ground-based radars and optical telescopes in tracking thousands of pieces of debris so orbital collisions can be avoided, General William Shelton said at the Air Force Association meeting in Orlando on Friday.

He called it a “neighborhood watch program” that will provide a more detailed perspective on space activities. He said the satellites, scheduled to be launched this year, also will be used to ferret out potential threats from other spacecraft.

~snip~

“The U.S. has a lot of very specialized and important national security satellites in the GEO region and it is very concerned about protecting those satellites … so by telling other countries that it has some ability to closely monitor objects near GEO and their behavior, the U.S. hopes that will deter other countries from attacking its important satellites,” Weeden said.

[orpupilofnature57]

1. As if we don't have enough surveillance on the Orb .

Just anther way to parcel out $$$$$ .