Chinese space-to-space missiles

Well, since that posting to all the space newsgroups apparently went
nowhere, let's try it again:

"I've been batting my head against the wall for the past week about this.
Take a look at this photo taken by the XS-1 subsatellite of the front
end of the Shenzhou7 orbital module that is still in orbit and equipped
with its own solar arrays and RCS:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...t_10152706.htm
Note the six attachments for the things that can separate from it; the
top one being empty, as that's where the XS-1 subsatellite was mounted.
Now note the design for the Soviet DOC-7 Almaz-based space station with
the space-to-space missiles mounted on the front of it:
http://www.ussr-airspace.com/index.p...afce51ed1bcda6
Now note the design of the Chinese first generation space station and
what's on its front end in this painting from the Chinese National Space
Agency: http://www.thespacereview.com/archive/473a.jpg
The thing is a Almaz clone and has the same things mounted on Shenzhou-7
sticking out of its front end.
I tried to write to DARPA about this, but although I could contact DARPA
regarding business opportunities, just contacting them in any other
form is not easy to find on their website.
So I tried to contact Space Command, as this might fall under their area
of responsibility... and I spent half a hour writing a message to them,
went to send it, and had "Sorry there was a problem posting your
message, could you try again?" come up.
So, I was going to send it to Defense Tech... and a couple of days after
I sent it, Defense Tech's mail program says the mail is undeliverable.
So I sent it to "Arms Control Wonk", and I have no reply yet from them.
I also sent it to James Oberg, but he didn't buy my interpretation of
the original Shenzhou-7 "what's-it's" on the front of the orbital
module, and hasn't replied yet to the artwork of the Almaz-clone station
from CNSA.
So, if someone out there in newsgroup land could actually tell someone
in the US intelligence community that they might want to have a peek at
all this, I wouldn't feel like that radar operator up on the mountain in
Hawaii on the morning of December 7, 1941 telling headquarters that they
don't really look like a group of B-17s flying in from the mainland to me.

Pat"

"Pat Flannery" wrote in message
one...
"I've been batting my head against the wall for the past week about this.
Take a look at this photo taken by the XS-1 subsatellite of the front end
of the Shenzhou7 orbital module that is still in orbit and equipped with
its own solar arrays and RCS:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...t_10152706.htm
Note the six attachments for the things that can separate from it;

I can only see five attachments; one seems to have been sensored by the
communists.

"Alan Erskine" wrote in message
...
"Pat Flannery" wrote in message
one...
"I've been batting my head against the wall for the past week about
this.
Take a look at this photo taken by the XS-1 subsatellite of the front
end of the Shenzhou7 orbital module that is still in orbit and
equipped with its own solar arrays and RCS:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...t_10152706.htm
Note the six attachments for the things that can separate from it;

I can only see five attachments; one seems to have been sensored by
the communists.

That's an interesting picture. I think 'sensored' is
probably better read as 'censored'. Missions up out of
Terra's gravity well are expensive; and, Bush having so
weakened America and the Chinese apparently motivated
by aggressive objectives, *why not* military objectives
for a dual-purpose satellite? ??

The black square blocking the view of one of those six
ports, could have been provided simply to focus
attention, to improve the intimidation effect. Tiny
cost, lots of response.

I'll be listening for what comes out of Washington on
this Shenzhou7 orbital module.

Titeotwawki -- mha [sci.space.policy 2008 Oct 19]

"Martha Adams" wrote in message
...
That's an interesting picture. I think 'sensored' is
probably better read as 'censored'.

You're write - Me spelln's knot ass god az et shood bea. ;-)

Alan Erskine wrote:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...t_10152706.htm
Note the six attachments for the things that can separate from it;


I can only see five attachments; one seems to have been sensored by the
communists.


There a five in a pentagon with one at the center. The top one is empty,
as I think that's where XS-1 was attached.
The black rectangle is the shadow of XS-1 falling on the front of the
orbital module.


Pat

OM wrote:



...Guys, has anyone verified that this black square is present in
every video frame? If this was a still image, it could have been just
a damn data dropout. If so, that means that Pat has Hoaxland's
Syndrome :-P

No, its on multiple frames, it's how they figured out that BX-1 (I got
the name wrong originally), at least seen from one angle, was
rectangular: http://english.sina.com/technology/2...05/189896.html
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/...shenzhou-7.htm
(note that ASAT/inspector idea comes up in that description)
Although BX-1 took over 1,000 photos, only a few have been released.
The subsatellite's shape isn't important though; it's whats on the front
of the orbital module that its photographing that's important.
According to this, these are claimed to be "spherical air bottles":
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...bsat101008.xml
But they don't look spherical, and they do look detachable. There's no
reason to individually cover them in insulation blankets when you could
just but a single blanket over all of them and reduce weight while
getting less sun exposure to boot.
There's some footage of the subsatellite in this video clip:
http://v.cctv.com/html/worldwidewatc...081002_5.shtml
You can also briefly see the what's-it's in the animation.

Pat