Author Topic: China Attempted To Blind U.S. Satellites With Laser (Read 1757 times)

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #75 on:** September 30, 2006, 08:58:34 PM »

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The US manned space program has 14 dead, 17 if you count Apollo 1 if you were really trying to make a point.

I know that several astronauts were lost flying jets. Thats what got Yuri Gurgarin too.

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #76 on:** September 30, 2006, 09:39:09 PM »

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Originally posted by Chairboy
Russians haven't had a fatal space accident since the early 1970s, and have a total of 4 dead, 5 if you count the Cosmonaut who burnt to death in a pure O2 acident a few months before Apollo 1. The US manned space program has 14 dead, 17 if you count Apollo 1 if you were really trying to make a point.

But 2 soyuz inflight accidents, two shuttle accidents... all four killed all the crew aboard.

A launch expolsion in Plesetsk, Oct 2002 killed 1

A launch expolsion in Plesetsk, Mar 1980 killed 48

Space is a dangerous business.

Viking · « **Reply #77 on:** October 01, 2006, 06:41:13 AM »

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Originally posted by Chairboy
It's ironic, because you imply that the Russian build quality is so inferior, yet immediately afterwards mention how the US astronauts have had to fly in Russian spacecraft without mentioning that it was because of a fatal Shuttle accident. Russians haven't had a fatal space accident since the early 1970s, and have a total of 4 dead, 5 if you count the Cosmonaut who burnt to death in a pure O2 acident a few months before Apollo 1. The US manned space program has 14 dead, 17 if you count Apollo 1 if you were really trying to make a point.

I think you missed my point, or I wasn't making it clear enough. Yes, the Russians had build quality problems, but their engineers engineered their way around it. That's why Russian equipment that actually works is so reliable and though. However, once in a while there is a lemon, be it a spacecraft or a nuclear power plant. There were many Chernobyl type power plants built, and all except Chernobyl have worked perfectly.

Viking · « **Reply #78 on:** October 01, 2006, 06:49:58 AM »

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Originally posted by Holden McGroin
But 2 soyuz inflight accidents, two shuttle accidents... all four killed all the crew aboard.

As of August 9, 2005 there have been a total of 114 Space Shuttle launches. The Soyuz spacecraft has made more than 1500 launches.

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #79 on:** October 01, 2006, 07:10:47 AM »

Soyuz 1 thru 40 = 40

Soyuz T2 - T15 = 14

Soyuz TM2 - TM34 = 33

Soyuz TMA 1- TMA 9 = 9

40 + 14 + 33 + 9 = jeeze I'm coming up with less than 1500....

Angus · « **Reply #80 on:** October 01, 2006, 08:01:26 AM »

Does the total number include sattellite launches?

Anyway, who put men on the moon

?

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #81 on:** October 01, 2006, 08:27:07 AM »

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Originally posted by Angus
Does the total number include sattellite launches?

It's tough to kill the crew on an unmanned launch.

Chairboy · « **Reply #82 on:** October 01, 2006, 09:22:08 AM »

The disconnect, Holden, is that he's also counting all the unmanned Soyuz launches. It's confusing, there are both the Soyuz capsule (which is the spacecraft itself) that carries crew, and also the Soyuz rocket (which carries the capsule but it also used on its own to launch cargo). His figure is the total number of Soyuz rocket launches, manned and unmanned.

lukster · « **Reply #83 on:** October 01, 2006, 09:46:56 AM »

At some point the "soviet technology" ceases to be soviet and will have to be called Russian or European or named for whoever advances it.

As to the number of deaths suffered by the Soviets in their space exploration efforts I think one is naive to believe the Soviets forth coming with the real numbers. Afterall, they even tried to hide Chernobyl.

Nilsen · « **Reply #84 on:** October 17, 2006, 06:30:09 AM »

Here is an update:

"US claims that China has used lasers to attack satellites

China has used high-energy lasers to interfere with US satellites, according to a US Army space-warfare specialist. Tests have been reported previously but it is now confirmed that the laser attacks were at least partially effective.

Command Sergeant Major David Lady of the Joint Functional Combat Command for Integrated Missile Defense, said at the Strategic Space & Defense conference in Omaha on 12 October that the attacks were detected after US satellite operators - most likely users of the National Reconnaissance Office's secret imaging satellites - observed that the satellites occasionally failed to perform over China.

"There had been times when we wondered at the sudden decline in effectiveness as the satellites passed over China," CSM Lady said. Sensors at the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein atoll in the South Pacific were tasked with tracking the satellites and observing any unusual phenomena. "We sensed the projection of beams against the spacecraft and could identify the streams of photons," CSM Lady said.

The Kwajalein data confirmed that the Chinese appeared to have "some level of confidence" in their laser countermeasures system, according to CSM Lady."

Source: http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/news/jdw/jdw061016_1_n.shtml