dietz%USC-CSE@USC-ECL.ARPA (06/25/84)
The most recent issue of OMNI magazine has an article by Oberg about a technique the Soviets could use to wipe out all satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The idea is to throw small objects into a retrograde GEO orbit. Direct launch from the ground would be prohibitively expensive. Instead, the russians would use the moon to sling the asat onto a retrograde path, with a small burn when it achieves geosynchronous altitude to circularize the orbit. Upon command, the satellite would expel its cargo of pebbles/sand grains/etc. US satellites in geo would encounter the objects at twice orbital velocity, once every 12 hours.
mcgeer%ucbkim%Berkeley@sri-unix.UUCP (06/26/84)
From: Rick McGeer (on an aaa-60-s) <mcgeer%ucbkim@Berkeley> Of course, that would get all the Soviet satellites, too. Don't you think that killing LEO satellites is more likely? It's easier to get the killsat into LEO than GEO, and that's where the more effective spy satellites are, anyhow. -- Rick.
eric@apollo.UUCP (06/29/84)
>The most recent issue of OMNI magazine has an article by Oberg about >a technique the Soviets could use to wipe out all satellites in >geosynchronous orbit. >Upon command, the satellite would expel its >cargo of pebbles/sand grains/etc. US satellites in geo would encounter >the objects at twice orbital velocity, once every 12 hours. What a mess that would make! GEO orbits are VALUABLE! And it would be a long time (if ever) before anyone could clean them up. Who thinks of this stuff, I wonder? Eric Peters (...decvax!wivax!apollo!eric) Apollo Computer Inc., Chelmsford, MA
lwall@sdcrdcf.UUCP (07/02/84)
In article <20400bbb.142@apollo.uucp> eric@apollo.UUCP writes: >>The most recent issue of OMNI magazine has an article by Oberg about >>a technique the Soviets could use to wipe out all satellites in >>geosynchronous orbit. >> >>Upon command, the satellite would expel its >>cargo of pebbles/sand grains/etc. US satellites in geo would encounter >>the objects at twice orbital velocity, once every 12 hours. > >What a mess that would make! GEO orbits are VALUABLE! And it would be >a long time (if ever) before anyone could clean them up. Who thinks of >this stuff, I wonder? Chess players. QxR/GEO, sacrificing Q but mate in 2. Larry Wall {allegra,burdvax,cbosgd,hplabs,ihnp4,sdcsvax}!sdcrdcf!lwall
Murray.pa@XEROX.ARPA (07/06/84)
How would sand or pebbles stay in GEO? There isn't much air left up there, but there is radiation pressure. What else disturbs orbits?
al@ames.UUCP (07/14/84)
Apparently this article claimed the Soviets could ruin GEO by putting up a retrograde sand box. Two things: if the Soviets can do it so can the U.S., second - what benefit is there for either?