The NOSS triangles are some of my favorite objects. These proposed new clusters (see below) might prove to be even more interesting. ----- Reference URL: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0007/04satformation/ Excerpt follows. See Reference URL for full article. Birds inspire formation-flying satellites U.S. AIR FORCE NEWS RELEASE Posted: July 4, 2000 Researchers here at the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate, and those at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in Arlington, Va., have rolled out plans for a revolutionary new system of "formation-flying" satellites that can quickly adapt to rapidly changing mission requirements. And they got the idea by watching a flock of birds. AFRL's intriguing "Technology Satellite of the 21st Century," or the TechSat 21 program, envisions that collaborative clusters of interdependent microsatellites, each weighing about 100 kilograms and flying in close, bird-like formations, may eventually circle the earth, replacing many of today's single, larger satellites. ----- Personal observation note: The other night, I "nailed" Vanguard 2 Rk (00012/59-01B) in my 10x50 binoculars from a semi-dark sky site west of Austin, Texas, USA with approximate limiting magnitude +5. Congratulations to the reentry observers in California and Australia! Perhaps we will be similarly fortuned in Austin one of these days... --Sue Worden (worden@fc.net) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www2.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 06 2000 - 19:18:55 PDT