Posted on 11/28/2004 7:39:05 AM PST by Brian Mosely
NEW YORK, Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviation Week & Space Technology reports in its November 29 issue that U. S. intelligence analysts are concerned about the planned launch from Iran, by early 2005, of an Iranian built satellite on an upgraded version of Tehran's largest ballistic missile, the Shahab-3.
The preparations for and launch of one or more Iranian satellite "is something that needs to be watched closely," a U. S. government missile analyst familiar with Iranian capabilities told AW&ST.
Such an "Iranian Sputnik" would elevate the stature of the Iran in the Middle East.
Tehran's satellite launch plans could also be a "Trojan Horse" to further advance ballistic missile or nuclear warhead related technologies, sources told the magazine. Some of the materials and micro-electronic technologies necessary for Iranian satellite design could also be important for the development of tiny high quality components needed to produce small nuclear weapons, AW&ST reports.
The U. S. intelligence community was taken by surprise in 1998 when a North Korean satellite launch attempt unexpectedly demonstrated a long range North Korean missile capability. U. S. intelligence officials said they do not want to be surprised again, this time by Iran.
Even if they fail initially, Iranian satellite launch attempts would help Iran develop both range and warhead improvements to the Shahab-3 missile under the cover of a civilian space program, AW&ST reports.
If the Iranians are successful with the space launch program, it will have political and technological ramifications in both the U. S. and Middle East. "It would move the Iranians from the junior varsity into the big leagues," an analyst told the magazine.
And as previous experience with North Korea shows, such a space launch demonstration can have significant impact in a weapons context. "Something like that from Iran would certainly have a similar effect in the Middle East," sources told AW&ST.
Ability to launch satellite = ICBM.
At that point we either stop them or really buff up our Missle defence.
Oops...wrong article.
What a great chance for the USAF to test our anti-satellite missle capability.
Perhaps somehow a little misdirected space trash could accidentally fall out of orbit and make an incalculable coincidental impact with this Iranian-inter-continental-ballistic-uh-satellite-launcher.
Let's send a shuttle up and take it.
"Tehran's satellite launch plans could also be a "Trojan Horse" to further advance ballistic missile or nuclear warhead related technologies"
DUH
Can we unleash our viking kitties against this missle thingy ? ;-)
Zot that missle program right off the sand.........
And WTF is this BS with "may be" or "might be" or what not the press is so enamored with. The idjits were all chanting "Death to America Death to Israel" in their statehouse when they voted to fire up the nuclear program. This is NOT a joke.
But we'll just have to wait and see maybe they are going to make the world a better place........
Time to unleash the kitties of war.
Bad idea.
All sorts of mysterious things can happen to a satellite...
Yes and no.
You might be amazed at what can be determined from a postmortem.
And just how are the Iranians going to retrieve it?
BTW, how do you intent in destroying a satellite without leaving a debris field?
The Iranians have been uttering those sort of threats for a long time now. There isn't any doubt what their plans are. I don't think they can put it any clearer. They are going to nuke israel, collateral damage means nothing to them. If they west tries to stop them... blah blah blah..
Even if some are foolish enough to think this is all hot air, I don't think it's worth taking that chance. Better a little mess now than a bigger one later. Iran is a big obstacle to stability in the Middle east, as well as everywhere else, and has been for a long time now. It's time to put them out of their misery. Sterilize the place.
Does it have to be smashed into a million peices? Or can it just drift away powerless, leaving Team Iran scratching their heads? Im sure there are many ways thought up by those in that field of interest.
Unless you induce some sort of delta-v, the vehicle will remain in its present orbit. Completely silencing it, to even include emergency or battery power to its transmitters, would be pretty tricky without taking it out completely.
I am not in favor of purposely destroying someone else’s satellites just because of the nationality.
Do you not think other nations, such as China has not thought of taking out ours?
As far as Iran's goes, It all depends on what they want to use it for. What is your guess based on everything they have done so far?
I would imagine it will be spyed on for a while to determine that in anycase, if they are successful in getting it up there.
All satellites in orbit are tracked. It will be interesting to see how many nations acquire/develop orbital launch capability over the next number of years.
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