RE: Hiding from the spies in the sky
Ling,Alister [Edm] (Alister.Ling@EC.gc.ca)
Thu, 4 Jun 1998 14:50:04 -0600
I did not realize the US spysats had sensors that could penetrate
granite several tens if not hundred or two metres thick. Radar can
penetrate soil and sand, and satellite motion can be used to determine
gravitational anomalies...but detecting underground nuclear tests by
satellite? Presumably the spysats would simply be watching for signs of
unusual traffic movement in order to locate the site?
Alister.
>----------
>From: Alan Pickup[SMTP:alan@wingar.demon.co.uk]
>Sent: June 4, 1998 1:23 PM
>To: SeeSat-L
>Subject: Hiding from the spies in the sky
>
>
>The "Online" Science and Computing tabloid with today's Guardian
>newspaper leads with a story by Duncan Campbell titled "Hiding from the
>spies in the sky". Speculating on how the recent Indian nuclear tests
>were timed to avoid oversight by US spysats (Lacrosse, etc), it mentions
>the "growing international community of professional and amateur
>astronomers, linked on the Net" who observe these and derive/publish
>elsets. There is also info on software and elset sources, plus the
>visual satellite observers' home page (though at the obsolete mpe-
>garching URL).
>
>The text is at http://online.guardian.co.uk/
>
>The Guardian is a Great Newspaper, by the way. It runs a brilliant
>"Starwatch" astronomy column every couple of weeks written by someone
>whose name escapes me ;-)
>
>Alan
>--
> Alan Pickup | COSPAR site 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl
> Edinburgh | Home: alan@wingar.demon.co.uk +44 (0)131 477 9144
> Scotland | SatEvo satellite page: http://www.wingar.demon.co.uk/satevo/
>
>
>