Pat Flannery wrote in
:

Jorge R. Frank wrote:

Besides, he's still missing Ed's point. The DoD is already running
their own autonomous rendezvous/prox ops/docking program (XSS-11)
openly. They have little interest in NASA's DART program (they're
convinced that XSS-11 will work better than DART, anyway), so the idea
that DART is some kind of "hide in plain sight" DoD program is pretty
ludicrous.

It has the capability to do a ASAT mission, and being that it rides on
a Pegasus, do it on a budget- and that shouldn't be overlooked.

DART can get away with a Pegasus because it's a test vehicle, with no
operational objectives once it arrives at the target. Operational vehicles
will undoubtedly require larger launchers.

It's also odd that it doesn't require the target object to at least be
equipped with a transponder to aid it in its rendezvous.

It's not odd at all if you've been paying attention to the news. NASA is
required to provide a safe deorbit for HST at the end of its service life.
HST has no navaids to assist a rendezvousing spacecraft, so if the shuttle
mission isn't reinstated, the spacecraft must be able to do without them.
Thus NASA has a legitimate need for a capability like DART's.

Is it possibly a "Sheep Dip" program, to establish a civilian
precedent for rendezvousing with spacecraft in orbit, so that everyone
doesn't raise a ruckus when the DOD starts sending theirs up? It's got
the same feel to it that the Soviet's Polyot 1 and 2 had.

I think you're just looking for a conspiracy where none exists.
--
JRF

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