Sven Grahn wrote:

I have added an article "The F-15 ASAT story" to my web site.





This is odd...the test target satellites are inflatable spheres that
have heat generators inside of them, and you point out that the
intercept is basically head-on. The spheres are inflated shortly before
the intercept is attempted... this sounds a lot more like a test of
something designed to intercept incoming ICBM warheads than satellites.
ICBM warheads could well be housed inside of inflatable sphere's (IIRC,
the British Chevaline system may have used this technique) so that they
would appear to be identical to the inflatable decoys on radar until the
covering burnt off during reentry (the decoys would also decelerate
faster on hitting the outer edge of the atmosphere) prior to the
covering burning off, the incoming encased warhead would look like a
heated sphere as it began its descent...much like these target
satellites. If the object of the intercept was to do a realistic test of
hitting a satellite in its natural orbital environment, shouldn't the
heating of its surface have been primarily due to solar irradiation? I
assume that was the case in regards to the P78-1 target satellite*.
About the only other Soviet satellites that would generate significant
heat while on-orbit would be the nuclear powered Soviet RORSATs... were
they the targets being simulated?

*You may want to mention that many scientists were angry about the
destruction of P78-1 at the time, as it was still doing useful work.

Pat