Re: Re[2]: SeeSat and Kosovo
Mir16609@aol.com
Thu, 1 Apr 1999 13:07:35 EST
In a message dated 4/1/99 01:17:16 PM EDT, JBARKER@arinc.com writes:
> First of all the US does not have an obligation to publicly publish
> any satellite elements. No one can claim a "right" to any satellite
> elements. The US Space Command publicly publishes orbital elements
> for selected satellites as a free service, not because of any
> obligation that it has. What other countries publish any satellite
> elements?
>
> The US has the right to publish or not publish any satellite elements
> that it wants to. In the case of certain military satellites the US
> has an obligation NOT to publicly publish those elements because to do
> so would compromise the investment of the taxpayer dollars that it
> cost to build, launch and maintain them.
Sorry this is wrong. There are specific reasons for withholding information
from the general population per the Freedom of Information Act. IMO GPS,
DMSP, LACE and STEX do not meet these criteria. Their missions are public,
they have homepages on DoD servers, GPS and DMSP (which is controlled by NOAA)
have civilian missions. The US government has an obligation to the taxpayers
to release information that does not meet the FOIA exclusions. IOW, if the US
government generates the info, then it is legally available for public
dissemination unless it is specifically excluded.
I just have a hard time believing that there is threat to GPS, DMSP, LACE and
STEX that warrants censorship of the TLEs.
Cheers
Don Gardner 39.1796 N, 76.8419 W, 34m ASL
Homepage: http://hometown.aol.com/mir16609/
Space Day - 6 May 1999; http://www.spaceday.com/