[Quix]

What are the implications, reasons, motivations, etc?

Why the change?

[JoeProBono]

And why the military?

[Caramelgal]

What are the implications, reasons, motivations, etc? Why the change?

I think it very plausible that this (or these) “hush-hush” satellites are a new generation of military satellites tasked with looking for nuke tests or missile launches (NK anyone?) or observing and or tracking other nation’s satellites and or their re-entry.

That they might pick up ordinary objects like meteorites is secondary to their mission. However disclosing data on even normal phenomenon might give away too much information on the new capabilities that we don’t want the rest of the world to know about.

But hey of the tinfoil hat is comfortable and looks good on ya, go ahead and keep wearing it.