Pentagon launches nuke-spotting satellites amid Russian space bomb rumors
- Reference: 1708027962
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/02/15/pentagon_missile_satellite_network/
- Source link:
The US Department of Defense [1]confirmed its payload included two satellites for the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS), and the final four Tranche 0 satellites for the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) communications constellation.
American defense contractor L3Harris, which designed five of the six satellites, [2]said the launch, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, was a success. The other satellite, a second HBTSS unit, was built by Northrop Grumman.
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"This launch represents a pivotal time for MDA as we enter a new phase of missile warning, tracking and defense," said MDA director Lieutenant General Heath Collins. "These HBTSS satellites are an essential step forward in our efforts to stay ahead of our adversaries."
[4]
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that took six Pentagon missile-tracking satellites to orbit yesterday ... Source: SpaceX/US DoD
An MDA spokesperson told The Register the two HBTSS satellites launched yesterday are the only two planned for the program.
Yesterday's launch brings the total number of PWSA satellites to 27, all of which form of the first layer of the military's missile tracking and data transport kit, a.k.a. Tranche 0. Launch of those satellites began in April of last year after a [5]number of delays in the program.
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Tests of the PWSA tranche 0 satellites, which was supposed to take place over the summer last year, only happened in [8]late November due to concerns from the US Federal Aviation Administration that downlinks from the constellation to Earth could cause dangerous interference for aircraft and ground-based receivers.
The National Telecommunications and Information Agency issued a waiver for the tests, but only over international waters and on the ground in an unnamed [9]Five Eyes country.
[10]
The PWSA constellation will eventually feature as many as four tranches and hundreds of satellites, which will add progressively more capabilities to build a space-based communications network for US military. Along with missile tracking, PWSA satellites will provide targeting of objects beyond line-of-site, low-latency data links, improved positioning and navigation services, and encrypted communications.
Satellites for Tranche 1 of the PWSA are being constructed now, we're told, and are scheduled for launch later this year.
The pair of HBTSS satellites, on the other hand, are a "space sensor prototype demonstration providing fire control quality data required to defeat advanced missile threats," the Pentagon said yesterday. The missile sensors in HBTSS satellites are also different from those onboard PWSA sats, which SDA director Derek Tournear said will give the Defense Department improved threat visibility.
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"In Tranche 1 [of PWSA], SDA will fly both sensor types as an operational system – medium-field-of-view demonstrating fire control, based on HBTSS design, and wide-field-of-view doing warning and tracking, based on T0 tracking design," Tournear said.
"Following the successful demonstration of HBTSS capabilities, the responsibility for HBTSS operational fielding will be transferred to [the US Space Force] and MDA will continue the development of the next generation of space-based fire-control sensors for missile defense," an MDA spokesperson told us.
But can they stop space nukes?
US House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) made a cryptic [12]statement yesterday alluding to a "serious national security threat." [13]Reports have claimed Turner was referring to Russian plans to develop and deploy some kind of space-based nuclear weapon, though it's not entirely clear that's actually the case.
Reports have indicated the Russian weapon would be designed to take out other satellites, and while Turner has urged President Biden to declassify all information regarding the threat to enable open discussion of a solution, other parties are urging calm and saying the potential weapon isn't necessarily a threat.
[14]Report reveals US Space Force unprepared to counter orbital threats
[15]US amends hypersonic weapons strategy: If you can't zoom with 'em, boom 'em
[16]Russia says Starlink satellites could become military targets
[17]US Space Force finally creates targeting unit – better late than never, right?
While describing it as significant, House representative Jim Himes (D-CT) [18]said there "is no cause for alarm or panic," and it's "like intelligence we see a couple times a month."
If accurate, however, it would put Russia at odds with the 1967 [19]Outer Space Treaty , which states that signatories "shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit." The pact was signed by the Soviet Union, and is [20]recognized by Russia. The Kremlin has already [21]tested ground-launched missiles to destroy its own satellites, though not nuclear ones – and not ones that would be launched from space.
Russian officials [22]denied the anti-sat space nuke claims, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it a ploy by the White House to get Congress to approve funding for Ukraine's fight against Russia's 2022 invasion of the country.
"It is obvious that the White House is trying, by hook or by crook, to push Congress to vote on the bill to allocate money," Peskov told Russian news agency TASS. "We'll see what tricks the White House will resort to."
The US Senate has approved a $95 billion bill to provide defense assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, but House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) [23]said yesterday he has no plans to bring the bill to an immediate vote in the House. ®
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[1] https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3676902/mda-sda-announce-upcoming-launch-of-the-hypersonic-and-ballistic-tracking-space/
[2] https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/press-release/2024/02/us-department-defense-launches-l3harris-missile-tracking-satellites
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zc6XmowHBaL4a122C7OLzwAAANA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://regmedia.co.uk/2024/02/15/pwsa-satellite-launch.jpg
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/22/dod_satellite_network/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zc6XmowHBaL4a122C7OLzwAAANA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zc6XmowHBaL4a122C7OLzwAAANA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.sda.mil/space-development-agency-successfully-completes-space-to-ground-transmission-from-link-16-tactical-data-network/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/18/five_eyes_china_espionage/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zc6XmowHBaL4a122C7OLzwAAANA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zc6XmowHBaL4a122C7OLzwAAANA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://twitter.com/HouseIntel/status/1757805804885823775
[13] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-congressional-intelligence-chair-warns-serious-national-security-threat-2024-02-14/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/30/us_space_force_report/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2023/09/12/darpa_boeing_hypersonic_countermeasure/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/28/russia_raises_possibility_commercial_sats_strike/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/17/space_force_target_unit/
[18] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soiZbQ0jQm0
[19] https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html
[20] https://tass.com/science/1354013
[21] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/27/iss_dodges_space_junk/
[22] https://tass.ru/politika/19992329
[23] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-speaker-resists-ukraine-israel-bill-2024-02-14/
[24] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
China claims to be left wing, as does North Korea - but they seem to be nothing more that absolute monarchies playing dress up as socialist republics.
To be fair, this happens in any political system, because even the best political system someone could come up with is going to fall apart because of human factor.
If I can be cynical, both socialism and capitalism in reality are the same and the poorest are always losing. One system rewards party members, creates a class of people who run everything and use state purse as their own bank account, the other creates a class of people who run everything and use money from their own bank account that come from public purse. One have state enterprise and people enriching themselves, the other has private enterprise and people enriching themselves.
Yeah. I’m a bit of a woolly liberal myself. I believe in strong capitalism paying for a socialist society (healthcare, schooling, social services, police, fire etc) through strong taxation.
260 million people, and Trump & Biden are the best candidates the US can find.Sad.
The really sad thing is that if Trump had won last time, we'd be looking forward to getting rid of him for good by now.
If trump had won last time, we might not look forward to anything anymore. WWIII might have proceeded on schedule.
Kriegsminister gibt nicht mehr..
Let’s hope that Biden wins the next election.
Let's hope a guy who even big hitters in the Democrat party are openly admitting is senile, wins the next election?
Sure, I get it you don't want to see a second Trump presidency, but cheering for a second Biden term? Really?
Geopolitically, the Biden presidency has been a complete disaster.
Let me remind you of some of the highlights.
- The botched pull out of Afghanistan leading to the Taliban retaking the country
- The proxy war against Russia that's rapidly becoming a debacle
- China emboldened to threaten Taiwan after seeing how hapless the West is becoming militarily
- The Middle East on fire with Iran in the ascendancy and the US backed by the rest of the West looking powerless against militant groups such as the Houthis
- A US-Mexico border that's so porous 10,000 illegal immigrants cross per day
The world is in a far more dangerous position now than 4 years ago and many would suggest it's largely because there's a guy who should be in an old folks home leading the free world.
China claims to be left wing, as does North Korea - but they seem to be nothing more that absolute monarchies playing dress up as socialist republics.
Hate to break it to you, but left wing regimes throughout history have led to more starvation, misery and death than right wing ones by at least one order of magnitude, if not two.
Well that’s certainly a popular trope for the far right press and blow hards, and I’m not going to claim that the communist parties of China, Russia and North Korea are innocent, but I’m not certain it will stand up even to cursory research. Ah yes…
Big points to your argument first. The low ball estimate says 15 million, but the high estimate says 55 mill. Communist Maos China (although I’m not sure I can see any truly socialist left wing policies - it looks a bit feudal monarchy to me)
Next Worst famine - China, but under the Chinese monarchy - definitely not left wing.
1906-1907, 25 million dead
Coming in to third place, with 19 million fatalities, the famine in the British Empire of the mid 19C century. Pretty sure that the British empire didn’t have socialist leanings at that time.
Bunch of 6 famines between the 14th and 18th centuries. All monarchies. Combined death toll - 50 million.
Russia famine, 1921, ditto my comments about communist China, 5 million dead. Then again, 1932-33, 7 million dead. That’s 12 million in total.
Chinese famine 1938, again not Communist, 10 million dead.
You can look it up for yourself. Here. I’ll start you off
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_famines
But it doesn’t support your argument that left wing governments cause famines. What it does support is the argument that undemocratic governments act like venal little shits and only care for the well being of the ruling class.
Optics
One is clear - it's much better to be turned into glass in split second, than to experience the so called "Russian world" first hand.
Jokes aside. That's what appeasement and looking at Russia through Western lens (as something rational and able to reason with) achieves.
Russia only respects and understand strength.
I am sure they are having a great laugh in Kremlin at all the pussyfooting in the West.
Their vision of peace is when we are all dead and they have the world for themselves.
Re: Optics
Sadly for the russians, after turning the east coast of the US and its mid west missile silos into glass, they'll have to deal with whatever the subs can launch (24 trident D5 missiles from 4 US subs, and whatever the French and British have on patrol)
So looking at anywhere from 100 to 200 odd inbound nukes(with decoys), so MAD still lives on.
Who will save us from this Russian commie boogeyman /s
Enough with the neocon cyberBS /s
Re: Who will save us from this Russian commie boogeyman /s
I fully agree!
So, this is new?
The ability of nuclear weapons to take out satellites has been know since the dawn of the space age. Parking one in orbit is one way to do it. Launching one from the ground or an airplane are a couple of others. They might take a bit longer but it will get the job done. Why is this just now important (rhetorical) ?
It’s all going a bit doctor strangelove, and the worrying thing is that so many people in countries lucky enough to enjoy a free vote seem to think that they’d be better off throwing their vote away and going the way of Russia, North Korea, China et al.
But it seems to me (and I suspect this comment might start a bit of a fracas on el reg) that the problem is extremism, and largely right wing extremism at that. China claims to be left wing, as does North Korea - but they seem to be nothing more that absolute monarchies playing dress up as socialist republics. A small upper class get the lions share of the loot and the rest, sadly, starve. Trump, Farage et al - nothing would please them all than abandoning democracy and watching the world burn. What I don’t understand is how they’ve persuaded so many people to support their insane plan.
Let’s hope that Biden wins the next election. Let’s hope that the tories (or, worse, Reform) don’t. If they do then all is lost.