http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/02/AR2007080202208.html
U.S. spy satellite declared loss, to drop from orbit
By Andrea Shalal-Esa
Reuters
Thursday, August 2, 2007; 8:24 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Reconnaissance Office has deemed
an experimental U.S. spy satellite a total loss and will allow it to
slowly drop from orbit and burn up in the atmosphere, two defense
officials told Reuters this week.
The classified L-21, built by Lockheed Martin Corp at a cost of
hundreds of millions of dollars, was launched on December 14 but has
been out of touch since reaching its low-earth orbit, put by
satellite watchers at about 220 miles above the earth.
It will now gradually fall out of orbit over the coming decades, said
the officials, who asked not to be named. At some later date, it will
burn up as it enters the earth's atmosphere, posing no danger to
people below, they said.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon will likely now have to test aspects of new
technologies that were on the L-21 by piggybacking them onto other
satellites over the next four to five years, the officials said.
For instance, the military could put the new sensors aboard TacSat 3,
the latest in a series of smaller satellites, when it launches later this year.
The NRO could still try to build a new spacecraft to test the
technology, but it would take several years to get the funding for
such a satellite and build it, one official said.
The two officials declined to identify what exactly the experimental
Lockheed satellite was meant to test, but said its failure was
troubling, given that other countries were rapidly plowing ahead with
development and launch of new capabilities, especially in the area of
synthetic aperture radars.
Synthetic aperture radars offer high-resolution and can pierce
darkness and thick clouds to identify targets, even peering below the
surface of the ground or peeking into foliage that might obstruct the
view of photo-based sensors.
One official said Germany in June launched TerraSAR-X, a
sophisticated new satellite armed with a synthetic aperture radar
that analysts say marks the start of a new level of quality in the
mapping of the earth.
Canada is also working on this technology.
The NRO, which designs, builds and operates reconnaissance satellites
for the U.S. military and intelligence communities, declined to
comment, as did Lockheed.
RUNAWAY COSTS, DELAYS
The failure of the L-21 comes amid a spate of issues with other NRO
and military satellites, and as the Pentagon tries to rein in runaway
costs and schedule delays on space programs.
NRO Director Donald Kerr, nominated to be principal deputy director
of national intelligence, told the Senate Intelligence Committee on
Wednesday that he recommended ending two multibillion-dollar
classified intelligence programs because they could not be
successfully completed.
Kerr said one of the contractors had been put on "a watch list," and
could only bid on new work if granted a waiver.
He did not name the programs or companies involved, but said he told
the contractor on the list it could be removed only when it showed
that it could build hardware that worked.
Analysts and one official familiar with the issue said Kerr was
referring to a major revamp of the Future Imagery Architecture
program, initially run by Boeing Co, and a Lockheed satellite program
dubbed "Misty." The official said the company on the watchlist was Boeing.
Boeing declined to comment.
Separately, two U.S. military satellites used to monitor ship
movements failed to reach their correct orbit when they were launched
several months ago aboard an Atlas V rocket.
Officials are now trying to "nudge" the satellites into the correct
orbit by using small amounts of the fuel onboard, but the effort is
still ongoing, one defense official said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Class, Professional, Ethical, and Competent Bug Sweeps, and
Wiretap Detection using Sophisticated Laboratory Grade Test Equipment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 546-3803
Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467
127 Eastern Avenue #291 Web:
http://www.tscm.com/
Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 E-mail: mailto:jm..._at_tscm.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We perform bug sweeps like it's a full contact sport, we take no prisoners,
and we give no quarter. Our goal is to simply, and completely stop the spy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:20 CST