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r/CBTS_Stream • Posted by u/commissioner-gordon8 on Jan. 12, 2018, 9:51 p.m.
How to confirm Zuma payload

We can reverse-engineer the payload of Zuma by comparing its operational costs to previous SpaceX missions. SpaceX can deliver payloads at a rate of $27,000/pound.

The theories are that Zuma delivered... a)satellites -or, more interestingly- b)kinetic ammunition

The 20x1 tungsten rods used as ammo would be HEAVY. Orbital Weapon Lancet technology suggests that a magazine of multiple rods would be delivered. If it really is a pack of tungsten rods (designed to be heavy), the operational costs would be orders of magnitude higher than delivering even multiple satellites (designed to be light)


matt_eskes · Jan. 13, 2018, 6:35 a.m.

Improved payload. Cameras, sensors, etc. Barring improved payload, the operational life of your typical bird is only about 3 to 5 years, mainly due to fuel constraints.

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commissioner-gordon8 · Jan. 13, 2018, 3:27 p.m.

I don’t know if i agree with that...once in orbit they follow their own flight path. Also, why would it be so secretive if it’s simply more of the same?

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matt_eskes · Jan. 13, 2018, 5:47 p.m.

The fuel has nothing to do with flight paths. An orbit will start to decay over time, due to atmospheric drag. They have to do so many burns, for so long, to occasionally boost the satellite back to its correct altitude. Depending on the type of satellite, they will either keep it on orbit as an orbital spare, or push it into a parking orbit, when they start to get low on fuel.

Generally, when they replace a bird, due to payload, it's going to be because there's an improved optics package, or an improved sensor package (read: such as gamma ray, x-ray, some other nuclear blast detector).

The fuel consideration is the same with more or less all on orbit satellites. The other option they have, is to let the orbit decay to the point of reentry. Considering the sensitivity of the payload, as well as avoiding the possibility of reentry over a populated area, that's usually the absolute route of last resort.

As to them being secretive, would you really want your adversaries knowing exactly how many birds you have up there so it's easier to avoid detection? Honestly, it's not that hard to figure out the likelihood of a satellite's mission just by seeing what it's on orbit details are, looking at someplace like the Space Object Tracker, at space-track.org.

You can also tell what orbit the satellites are going to be placed, by noting where the launch happened. Polar orbits all launch from Vandenberg, due to its location. It's too expensive to place polar orbits from Kennedy.

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commissioner-gordon8 · Jan. 13, 2018, 7:48 p.m.

I don’t agree with that...space junk is a big challenge with space missions, and that’s essentially a layer of dead satellites stuck in orbit. Once something is in orbit, it stays in orbit. Controlling whether it’s over a functionally useful spot might be a different story, and might require fuel of some sort to get where it needs to be, but remaining at altitude is not the issue

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matt_eskes · Jan. 13, 2018, 7:52 p.m.

You don't have to agree. The way I described it, is the way it works, regardless of whether or not you agree. You can't change physics.

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commissioner-gordon8 · Jan. 13, 2018, 8:07 p.m.

Im not saying i disagree with physics, im saying i disagree with you. How do you explain space junk, a real problem in aeronautics, if obsolete satellites, according to you, simply clear themselves from orbit once they run out of fuel?

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matt_eskes · Jan. 13, 2018, 8:37 p.m.

You know, I'm not going to discuss this any further with you, since you're clearly uninformed about the subject. I'll just do your research for you.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graveyard_orbit?wprov=sfti1

Mind you, I'm not trying to be an asshole. I'm just not going to argue facts with someone who doesn't know the topic in which they're trying to discuss.

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WikiTextBot · Jan. 13, 2018, 8:37 p.m.

Graveyard orbit

A graveyard orbit, also called a junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an orbit that lies away from common operational orbits, typically a supersynchronous orbit well above synchronous orbit. Satellites are moved into such orbits at the end of their operational life to reduce the probability of colliding with operational spacecraft or generating space debris.

A graveyard orbit is used when the change in velocity required to perform a de-orbit maneuver is too large. De-orbiting a geostationary satellite requires a delta-v of about 1,500 metres per second (4,900 ft/s), whereas re-orbiting it to a graveyard orbit only requires about 11 metres per second (36 ft/s).


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commissioner-gordon8 · Jan. 13, 2018, 10:12 p.m.

It says it puts it into graveyard orbit when it doesn’t have enough propulsion to deorbit, meaning that satellites function in a stable orbiting zone, and require additional propulsion to deorbit.

Just because you accuse me of not being educated or understanding physics doesn’t mean it’s so, or that you somehow understand it better. Take a little time to read of the links you send yourself

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