On Jan 31, 2:54*pm, Pat Flannery wrote:
Quadibloc wrote:
But the law of physics that's being violated is the one about the
diffraction of light. These microsatellites are being pitched as _spy_
satellites, not, say, research satellites for studying the Van Allen
belt or whatever. For that, you would want something the size of the
HST, although I suppose a 36-inch mirror might do; hardly "micro".

More than one type of reconsat; these could be designed to pick up enemy
radio signals for analysis (these are called "ferret" satellites). If
you have several flying in formation, you can use them to pinpoint where
a signal is coming from.

Pat

The US, in the person of AFRL, worked on air-launched satellites using
an F-15 or F-22 as the carrier aircraft. Israel's F-15's would likely
work. (After all, Project Pilot did it, albeit with very limited
success, with a Skyray fighter flying subsonic in 1958. In fact, AFRL
folks asked me for my Project Pilot / NOTSNIK files, which I of course
provided.) I don't know whether any active USAF interest continues
or if it was dropped when the idea was adopted for a now-canceled
DARPA RASCAL that would have used a large, purpose-built launch
aircraft. As Pat noted, you are not going to launch high-resolution
imaging satellites this way, but other types of reconsats can be very
useful.

Matt Bille
author, The First Space Race: Launching the Earth's FIrst Satellites
(Texas A&M, 2004)