al-Qaeda to attack satellites

[stevepaa]

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=4f051508-af72-4284-8ff3-2dfe8a268d02

"Experts are warning that al-Qaeda has the desire -- and the knowledge -- to take out satellites. "

How many think this is BS run up by someone trying to get funding?

Watch out that this bit of inteligence isn't used by someone to further their agenda.

[bryanthompson]

Commercial communications satellites do just about everything -- for instance, one was used until 2000 by Osama bin Laden himself (his phone number was 00873 6825 05331).
...
Lieutenant-Colonel Conrad Widman of the U.S. Space Warfare Centre noted in 2001 that to jam a satellite, "all you need is a spectrum analyzer, a signal generator, a satellite transmit-and-receive terminal, a computer with a couple of modems, and 200 lines of software."
...
The other most likely satellite-damaging scenario involves firing something at the birds as they float by in space. The weapon could be as complex as a nuclear bomb or as simple as a payload of ball bearings launched into satellite orbits -- perhaps a dozen countries have the capability to dispose of low-flying Iridiums this way, and even the high-altitude geostationary birds and GPS. High-energy radio frequency (RF) signals can disrupt satellites temporarily, or cook them outright. The high-power magnetrons used in long-range search radars along with high-gain antennas are readily available; you just have to know -- or be told -- what you want. The search radars operate in the same general frequency band, the L-Band, as do the uplinks for GPS and Iridium.

Seems slightly ridiculous... there are waaay more targets that are easier for them to hit. We aren't even safe in our own country, just look at our shipping containers and southern border. It's madness

[island911]

I knew we shoulda been having stricter security on the space shuttle. . . those austronauts should just have to wait, like everyone else, to cut their toe-nails.

Actually it's true, al-Qaeda has the desire -- and the knowledge -- to take out satellites. Quite a few have been brought down all ready. . .. someone must be behind this powerful force called gravity.

Yep, al-Qaeda would be smart to go after our satellites, and Hillary would be smart to run for POTUS.

[techweenie]

Al Quaeda is known to be working on a VBS (very big slingshot) and it appears we left behind millions of potential WMDs (rocks) in territories they control.

This might be the height of Chicken Little reporting.

[bryanthompson]

A Slingshot of Mass Destruction? Kindof has a nice ring to it... i better phone Bush. Quick, Lube, pass the red phone.

did you guys see that episode of MythBusters where they tried to launch the dummy over the US/Mexico border? now THAT was a big slingshot...

[techweenie]

Originally posted by bryanthompson
A Slingshot of Mass Destruction? Kindof has a nice ring to it... i better phone Bush. Quick, Lube, pass the red phone.

did you guys see that episode of MythBusters where they tried to launch the dummy over the US/Mexico border? now THAT was a big slingshot...

Didn't the Secret Service stop them?

[bryanthompson]

They set up a mock border at an airstrip (trying to launch the dummy 200 yards over a fence they built). The legend goes, there's this giant slingshot Mexicans use to fly over the border. I never heard the legend before the episode.

[djmcmath]

I bet they're planning on using super-powerful lasers the size of large refrigerators to knock out the satellites. Those sneaky bastages...

[IROC]

Originally posted by djmcmath
I bet they're planning on using super-powerful lasers the size of large refrigerators to knock out the satellites. Those sneaky bastages...

Strangely, this is kinda what I'm working on at work - but the laser is quite a bit bigger than a refrigerator. In fact, a laser the size of a refrigerator wouldn't be powerful enough to knock out a satellite. Powerful lasers are very big.

Mike

[djmcmath]

Originally posted by IROC
Strangely, this is kinda what I'm working on at work - but the laser is quite a bit bigger than a refrigerator. In fact, a laser the size of a refrigerator wouldn't be powerful enough to knock out a satellite. Powerful lasers are very big.

Don't mind me, just quoting from another thread's article.
Airborne laser weapons a reality? Cool!

Is this a reality or just marketing noise?

[IROC]

Well, it's not reality (yet), for sure. I think it is "within the realm of possibility" but bringing this technology to the battlefield will necessitate jumping some technical hurdles.

My previous post was before I read this link. Very interesting.

Mike

[Rikao4]

not to worry..evolution takes time.....from what I can see...
they just recently got out of the water..
Rika

[stevepaa]

I suspect someone wants to continue funding. Someone should really look at the THAAD program. Promises, promises and nothing to date. It is an endeavor trying to do the nigh impossible and might be easily defeated by countermeasures.

[IROC]

Originally posted by stevepaa
It is an endeavor trying to do the nigh impossible and might be easily defeated by countermeasures.

Hmmm...sounds like GMD.

Mike