Chinese satellites bump during secret maneuvers

[Haole Girl]

Source: msnbc.com

A Chinese satellite may have intentionally nudged another spacecraft during secretive space maneuvers in near-Earth orbit, according to analysts.

Such close encounters could allow China to practice rendezvous procedures between its future space station and other spacecraft, as well as learn about satellite formation flying, said Brian Weeden, a former U.S. Air Force orbital analyst and now technical adviser for the Secure World Foundation.

The satellite rendezvous tests could also permit close-up inspection of another satellite, not unlike demonstrations performed by the United States and other countries in the past.

According to Weeden, China's SJ-12 satellite made at least six sets of maneuvers between June 20 and Aug. 16. During those maneuvers, the satellite made passes near SJ-06F, an older Chinese satellite that launched in October 2008.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38995829/ns/technology_and_science-space

[Lasher]

1. Or they could knock out our GPS satellites.

Consider the ramifications.

[Davis_X_Machina]

3. Don't know about you, but I have my sextant, my....

....copy of H.O. 229 and a nautical almanac all within reach.

It may make shutting down the US-run LORAN chains to save a buck look like false economy.

[Lasher]

4. Did they finally shut down LORAN-C?

I better hit The Google on that one.

Edit: OK back from The Google. Looks like the system is still up. And you know what, they've been talking about shutting down LORAN for 30 years and it ain't happened yet. Good, I'm glad it's still running. Positioning systems are about more than positioning, ya know. They also support timing synchronization.

[Downwinder]

5. This year. eLORAN is not up and running yet.

Have to go back to Dead Reckoning.

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. It's dead, Jim.

LORAN-C GENERAL INFORMATION

*** Special Notice Regarding LORAN Closure: ***

TERMINATION OF U.S. LORAN-C SIGNALS:
In accordance with the 2010 DHS Appropriations Act, the U.S. Coast Guard terminated the transmission of all U.S. LORAN-C signals on 08 Feb 2010.

TERMINATION OF RUSSIAN AMERICAN LORAN-CHAYKA SIGNALS:
The U.S. Coast Guard transmission of the Russian American signal was terminated on 01 Aug 2010.

TERMINATION OF CANADIAN COAST LORAN-C SIGNALS:
The U.S. Coast Guard transmission of Canadian LORAN-C signals was terminated
on 03 Aug 2010.

That's the Western Hemisphere north of the equator done and dusted.

[Lasher]

8. Why on earth would they do that after all this time, this close to turning up eLORAN?

It doesn't make any sense. I wonder how many boats out there are still equipped with LORAN only.

[smalll]

2. No sex threads please.

"bump?" during "secret maneuvers?" Take that kind of filth elsewhere.

[mike r]

7. At least they didn't create millions of pieces of space junk

this time anyway.

[mbperrin]

9. If we know about it, are they really secret?

Hmmm.