Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Marines in space!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Marines in space!

    Surprised that Doc hasn't posted this yet: http://hotair.com/archives/2006/12/18/marines-in-space/

    P.S. You've been Spanked!

  • #2
    Been formulating a more general post.

    What many may not know is that recently an updated US national space policy was released and it clearly addresses the military use of space.

    One incident prompting this review was the Chinese firing powerful lasers at some of our satellites over the last few years. The US govt. has been trying to keep this from going public in a big way, but the implications are clear.

    Of course these days such capabilities don't have to be state-sponsored.

    Some proposals are for the US to launch numerous 'battlestations' on orbit or to orbit numerous hunter/killers for retaliating against the satellites of a nation that attacks ours.

    Other more immediate actions will be the deployment of a military space vehicle. The development of this vehicle has been "grey" vs. "black"; its testbed has been the X-37A/B OTV (Orbital Test Vehicle - X-37B shown);



    and its 85% version the X-40A/B Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV).



    The drop tests were done by Rutan/Scaled Composite's "White Knight", mothership for SS1, first at Scaled's Mohave site and later at nearby Air Force facilities;



    The operational version is likely to be called the Military SpacePlane (MSP) Mark I. The MSP will likely be using avionics similar to the Orion space ship in that it can be manned or remotely flown.

    Its first unmanned launch is 2009, so this capability will be coming sooner than later.


    Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 19 December 2006, 01:54.
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

    Comment


    • #3
      Doc, your hotlinked images didn't work until I actually searched Designation-systems.net and viewed the images from there.

      Once they were cached in my browser they showed up here just fine.

      FYI

      Cool concept, though.

      Kevin

      Comment


      • #4


        Comment


        • #5
          Link problem fixed.


          The new policy (PDF)....


          Space.com article on the new policy;

          U.S. President George W. Bush has authorized a sweeping new national space policy, green-lighting an overarching national policy that governs the conduct of America’s space activities.


          >
          A 10-page unclassified version of the U.S. National Space Policy was posted Friday on the OSTP web site.

          Across the solar system

          The White House document spells out U.S. space policy goals, including the implementation of a sustained “innovative human and robotic exploration program” geared to extending human presence across the solar system.
          >
          The Bush space policy supports use of space nuclear power systems to “enable or significantly enhance space exploration or operational capabilities.” The document adds that utilization of nuclear power systems “shall be consistent with U.S. national and homeland security, and foreign policy interests, and take into account the potential risks.”

          The policy highlights an interagency approval process for space launch and in-space use of nuclear power sources.
          >
          Freedom of action

          For 50 years, the U.S. has led the world in space exploration, developing “a solid civil, commercial, and national security space foundation,” the document notes.

          “Space has become a place that is increasingly used by a host of nations, consortia, businesses, and entrepreneurs,” the space policy states. “In this new century, those who effectively utilize space will enjoy added prosperity and security and will hold a substantial advantage over those who do not.”

          Additionally, the Bush space policy is designed to “ensure that space capabilities are available in time to further U.S. national security, homeland security, and foreign policy objectives.” Moreover, a fundamental goal of the policy is to “enable unhindered U.S. operations in and through space to defend our interests there.”

          The policy calls upon the Secretary of Defense to “develop capabilities, plans, and options to ensure freedom of action in space, and, if directed, deny such freedom of action to adversaries.”
          The Secretary of Defense is to;

          • Maintain the capabilities to execute the space support, force enhancement, space control, and force application missions;

          • Establish specific intelligence requirements that can be met by tactical, operational, or national-level intelligence gathering capabilities;

          • Provide, as launch agent for both the defense and intelligence sectors, reliable, affordable, and timely space access for national security purposes;

          • Provide space capabilities to support continuous, global strategic and tactical warning as well as multi-layered and integrated missile defenses;

          • Develop capabilities, plans, and options to ensure freedom of action in space, and, if directed, deny such freedom of action to adversaries;

          • Have responsibility for space situational awareness; in this capacity, the Secretary of Defense shall support the space situational awareness requirements of the Director of National Intelligence and conduct space situational awareness for: the United States Government; U.S. commercial space capabilities and services used for national and homeland security purposes; civil space capabilities and operations, particularly human space flight activities; and, as appropriate, commercial and foreign space entities; and

          • Establish and implement policies and procedures to protect sensitive information regarding the control, dissemination, and declassification of defense activities related to space.
          Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 18 December 2006, 18:00.
          Dr. Mordrid
          ----------------------------
          An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

          I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

          Comment

          Working...
          X