Mysterious Symbols in China Desert Are Spy Satellite Targets, Expert Says

Live Science ^ | Nov 15, 2011 | Natalie Wolchover

[bkopto]

Newfound Google Maps images have revealed an array of mysterious structures and patterns etched into the surface of China's Gobi Desert. The media — from mainstream to fringe — has wildly speculated that they might be Chinese weapons-testing sites, satellite calibration targets, street maps of Washington, D.C., and New York City, or even messages to (or from) aliens.

It turns out that they are almost definitely used to calibrate China's spy satellites.

So says Jonathon Hill, a research technician and mission planner at the Mars Space Flight Facility at Arizona State University, which operates many of the cameras used during NASA's Mars missions. Hill works with images of the Martian surface taken by rovers and satellites, as well as data from Earth-orbiting NASA instruments.

SNIP

The calibration targets are larger than might have been expected, he said, suggesting that the satellite cameras they are being used to calibrate have surprisingly poor ground resolution.

[Iron Munro]

[RedMDer]

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[verity]

The world's longest rice noodle.

[Steely Tom]

Someone here predicted this two days ago. Modesty prevents me from identifying the person more specifically.

Here's proof.

[citizenK]

Looks like the work was completed in 2005, between April 13 and May 29. Google Earth has historical imagaery at the coordinates (40.45, 93.74) referenced by Las Vegas Dave.
The April 13 image shows site with trucks and work-in-progress with respect to the resulting pattern. The May 29 image shows site abandonment.

[doorgunner69]

Is that what those damn things are??? Smart phone things like iKotexs or whatever> Keep sseing these goofy little checkerboard thingees and had no clue... Not so unusual for me............

Luckily, my simple little phone can only place and receive calls, so backward I am............

[GingisK]

Our satellite calibration targets are kept in the tool box of a hummer and laid out on a handkerchief when the job is performed..

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[Las Vegas Dave]

From the target area (40.452107,93.742118) approximately 13 miles W/NW, @ 281.35 degrees, is a .16 mile square feature with multiple (what appears as) bomb or lazer beam hits approximately 13 to 15 feet in a a somewhat circular diameter.

The 2005 image is a little cleaner, and also shows the hits.

IMO: Chicom lazer beam weaponry.

[Las Vegas Dave]

One more item of note, the blue roofed buildings @ 3,040 feet at a heading of 73.8 degrees from the square target area also appear to be targets.

The 3/6/2007 image shows that one of the roofs has severe damage, the newest image shows more destruction.

[Indy Pendance]

LOL!
Great graphic!