US military launches world's largest satellite

[unhappycamper]

The satellite, called NROL-32, had to face a series of delays due to technical problems.


US military launches world's largest satellite
by Anter Prakash Singh - November 22, 2010

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) released a press note saying that the Air Force has launched its spy satellite from Cape Canaveral station on Sunday at 5:58 p.m.

The satellite is being dubbed as the largest satellite in the world. More details were not given as it is a classified mission.

The unmanned 23-story rocket carried the classified spy satellite.

Brig. Gen. Ed Wilson, commander 45th Space Wing of the Air Force, said that this mission will help them in strengthening the national defense.

"Experts believe that the secret payload is a satellite capable of listening to a variety of transmissions from around the world. Such a satellite would have giant antennas stretching up to the size of a football field."

~snip~

He added that the new satellites are necessary for the new missions of NRO and will replace the existing ones before they fail.

[Ian David]

1. It's a Backscatter X-Ray Satellite that will spy on us under our clothing. n/t

[spanone]

2. why? because they have more money than god

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

3. Looks Reagan's Star Wars still in progress.

[Renew Deal]

4. Just to give you an idea about the size of technology these days

This is a 10Mb Hard Drive from 1980



This is a 128 GB Flash drive today.



The 1980 hard drive is like a thick book compared to todays technology. So "the largest satellite in the world" must be pretty damn powerful.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Size isn't everything; this satellite is 'large' as in 'maximum dimensions'

It's the "giant antennas stretching up to the size of a football field" that make it the largest satellite. Antennae haven't shrunk along with silicon chips; their size is related to the wavelengths of what they monitor, or the radiant power they need to pick up.

The rocket can launch 24 tons to low earth orbit; Skylab weighed 100 tons, so was a lot heavier than this can be; the ISS is now 375 tonnes and is about the size of 2 football fields, and so is larger and heavier, but was put together from several launches.

[mcollins]

5. That's no moon. It's a Space Station... nt

[DainBramaged]

7. World's largest space garbage magnet