Military Hush-Up: Incoming Space Rocks Now Classified

reply to post by LeaderOfProgress


As I and others said, the data they are restricting does not help give any warning in the first place. It's useless for telling us if there is a rock on the way, so info like this would never cause panic anyway.

Check out the reports yourself and see... I posted a link in my previous post above.

Well then why are they doing this? Are we sure we know the total capabilities of these satallites? It isn't like the government keeps secrets about equipment that we launch into space.

reply to post by LeaderOfProgress


We don't know the specs of the detector on the satellite, and that's the reason why the military is restricting the data. If the sensitivity came out, other countries would know what size of nuke they could get away with detonating without the satellites seeing it, if they could at all.

With the possibilities of cold-war part II looming on the horizon, N. Korea, Russia, China, Pakistan/India, the stakes are high. The US wants some aces up it's sleeve, and is keeping all its cards very close to its chest.

reply to post by LeaderOfProgress
Whichever way,
According to the news item these satellites just detect explosions in the Atmosphere so not much use anyway if an asteroid is about to bonk you on the head.
On the other hand maybe these craft can also look at space as well in some way...at least noone has said they can't.

reply to post by smurfy


That is the key point. No one knows what they can and cannot do. There has to be some reason aside from detecting explosions that they want to make these bad boys restricted.

Originally posted by LeaderOfProgress
reply to post by smurfy

 

That is the key point. No one knows what they can and cannot do.

There's no reason to believe they look out into space when their mission is to watch for explosions on the ground, something that just became far more important.

There has to be some reason aside from detecting explosions that they want to make these bad boys restricted.

No, there does not have to be some greater reason. Keeping our nuclear explosion observational capabilities a secret (not to mention keeping our resources focused on the task rather than filtering out suitable fireball images) is plenty of reason enough.

[edit on 11-6-2009 by ngchunter]

Thanks for the link CHUD.

A typical report, minus the wave form data is simply this:

A fireball (bolide) occurrence lasting more than three seconds. The
optical waveform was analyzed,
determined to be non-nuclear, and consistent with past observed bodies.
The location of this event was reported to be in the eastern US.

Pretty much denuded of any information on the sensitivity of the satellite. So it is specious to argue they are giving anything of value away.

But what is important is the statement: "determined to be non-nuclear,"

So, again, if they don't want a more public agency like NASA to have the simple information that the fireball (bolide) occurrence is either nuclear or non-nuclear, then they are seeking to conceal information about an event they think is coming, to either mask it as one or the other depending on how events play out.

Having the waveform data contradict the "official" statement would not look good. So close that door.

If this is true, then other, similar doors should soon closed also.

[edit on 11-6-2009 by GriffinRD]

alignment2012.com...

I am no expert but I have quite a bit of information related to the galactic alignment.

There are many reports that state that as we move closer to the predicted galactic alignment we will have to travel through the massive debris field which is better know as our Milky Way. It seems that the beautiful image that we have been shown over the years has nothing to do with milk.

As we travel through this field is has been said that we will be at risk to be in contact with a thousands of articles of debris.

Some pieces with be small and burn up before that can do any significant damage to the Earth. With others we will not be as lucky. It is predicted that we will be under constant attack both going into and leaving the orbital cycle.

If they are correct we will be seeing a lot more of those flaming red balls for quite a while.

Originally posted by CaptainCaveMan

Originally posted by TheStev
Actually, they're saying the information from the satellites is classified. And the whole point is why classify it now. I just don't buy the NK threat as a valid reason.

Ok ill try explain it better.
The satellites are used primarily to detect nuclear weapons and nuclear explosions...

Sorry, but again I have to clarify here. The satellites are used to detect nuclear explosions, but not nuclear weapons. They're also designed to return info about these explosions after they happen, so it's hard to see how they could possibly help with the NK 'threat' (sorry, but I still don't buy that there's actually any threat - I know they have nukes, but they don't have missiles capable of reaching the US that I'm aware of - correct me if I'm wrong).

And finally, the nuclear test performed by NK so far have been underground tests. Again, I could be wrong, but are these satellites really capable of recording info about underground nuclear explosions?

Thanks for the link Nightsky.
If I understand the information presented in it. We (earth) has been in "it" since 1980? Right. So the only thing that has changed in that 36 year window is we continue to move through the center and work our way out.

Considering that the Bolide information was being shared since 1994, it does seem odd to discontinue sharing this information while the light show continues, does it not?

It is no secret that we have been able to detect any large explosion anywhere on the planet, from the surface to L.E.O. since 1994. The NK knows this, as does Iran. So what else has changed??



[edit on 11-6-2009 by GriffinRD]

[edit on 11-6-2009 by GriffinRD]

Originally posted by TheStev
Sorry, but again I have to clarify here. The satellites are used to detect nuclear explosions, but not nuclear weapons. They're also designed to return info about these explosions after they happen, so it's hard to see how they could possibly help with the NK 'threat' (sorry, but I still don't buy that there's actually any threat - I know they have nukes, but they don't have missiles capable of reaching the US that I'm aware of - correct me if I'm wrong).

And finally, the nuclear test performed by NK so far have been underground tests. Again, I could be wrong, but are these satellites really capable of recording info about underground nuclear explosions?

Hmmm. You've hit on the obvious here. The satellites have nothing to do with prevention, only detection of any event! And distinguishing between nuclear and non-nuclear! Maybe they want us looking at NK and not someplace else??

I think, if I remember correctly, the last time the NK test detonated an underground bomb, the satellites had a hard time determining the size of the blast since the "light wave form" is absent or muffled. But it is not underground that they are looking for.

Originally posted by GriffinRD
It is no secret that we have been able to detect any large explosion anywhere on the planet, from the surface to L.E.O. since 1994. The NK knows this, as does Iran. So what else has changed??

What's changed is that the satellites have had no real use to the military since the end of the cold war. Now that the military is alerted to a nuclear threat from North Korea, they want to concentrate on that and stop spending their time and resources giving information on meteors to the science geeks.

It seems like these satellites real function is to analyze light flashes (explosions in the atmosphere) to determine whether they're nuclear or non nuclear. They need to be concentrating on that right now in case we have to respond quickly.

[edit on 6/11/2009 by mythatsabigprobe]

These satellites only detect explosions in the atmosphere, Not underground. They either don't want us to know that the amount of space rocks are increasing or they don't want anyone seeing the EMP burst we will set off above Iran or NK should that become necessary. The military has perfected a new EMP weapon that has no radiation so really it just fries everything electrical.

reply to post by GriffinRD


You're welcome Griffin.

Many of the releases do give away details like energy released, this one for example:

Fireball Detection


On 18 January 2000, sensors aboard DOD satellites detected the impact
of a meteoroid at 16:43:43 UTC near Whitehorse in the Yukon territory,
Canada. The object detonated at an altitude of 25 km at 60.25 degrees North

latitude, 134.65 degrees West Longitude. Optical sensors detected the same
event at 16:43:42 UTC. The event lasted 2 seconds at 1 micron wavelength
Estimates of total radiated power (assuming a 6000K Blackbody model)
are 1.1 x 10 exp 12 Joules.

Source: Archive of Fireball Data Releases

The relevance of the statement "determined to be non-nuclear" is not at all suspicious - that is the job of the detector: to differentiate between nuclear and natural events.

In either case, they were under no obligation to give out any data in the first place. Data on these events had already all but stopped. The military could just fake the data, which would have been noticed by almost no one. If they wanted to be covert about it, why say "no more data" instead? Why draw more attention and start up more conspiracy theories?

By the way it's "wavelength" not "waveform"

As to the other points being made on this thread about hiding some "special capability that we do not know about" on those particular DOD satellites... there are plenty of other classified satellites up there for which there are no details given whatsoever. These satellites have been up in orbit for many decades. I'm sure all really neat toys are on the newer ones no one knows about.

The thing is, it will continue to see the small explosions of "debris" so there will be filtering through the data still. If an explosion the size of an above ground nuke shows up, I am sure that it will be easy to see it in the data. There is something else going on here. This is not just an innocent change in policy.

Apologies if I'm just being dense, but I still don't really see how these satellites will help defend against the NK threat. Let's say they nuke SK (pretty unlikely IMO, but let's say it happens). We're going to find out about that pretty damn soon, satellites or no satellites.

Even assuming the satellites will let us know about the blast 5-10 minutes before conventional reports start coming in, what is it really going to change? If NK has decided to launch a set number of nukes, they're going to launch them all at once. They're not going to launch the first, then wait to see if there's a response before launching more. Even if we find out about the first explosion 5-10 minutes sooner, that's not going to change anything about the rest of the weapons that have been launched.

Basically all these satellites will do is help us retalliate a little bit faster, but they won't do anything to change the threat from NK.

Originally posted by Sky watcher
They either don't want us to know that the amount of space rocks are increasing

They were never used to count events anyway, so there is not much logic behind that. In almost all cases of detections there are multiple human witnesses anyway, so they could not hope to hide data if frequency of events was increasing. And before you ask, we have been through this here on ATS multiple times, and the data (collected by amateurs) shows no increase in fireballs at this point in time.

reply to post by TheStev


Seconds and minutes count, when you are potentially minutes away from WW3. These satellites provide near instantaneous confirmation of a nuke going off, and that is a capability only the superpowers have. Without the satellites the US is effectively blind, and having to rely on other data, which is not as reliable.

Having the ability to react quickly, or at least know what is going on with some degree of certainty, would be a major advantage, and other countries like NK know this. It isn't just a case of it being a tool enabling the US to retaliate, but the very fact that the US has eyes in the sky means that no one can get away with letting off nukes and keeping it quiet.

Originally posted by TheStev
Apologies if I'm just being dense, but I still don't really see how these satellites will help defend against the NK threat....Basically all these satellites will do is help us retalliate a little bit faster, but they won't do anything to change the threat from NK.

Just off point. The satellites have nothing to do with defense.
From anybody.
They only observe a specific set of data points, and spit out a report.
The specifics are classified.
The point is not.
They do not help us retalliate. They identify the explosion as natural or man made. So naturally, if something went BOOM over your hometown and the electrical grid went down, they don't want everyone running for their guns and shooting their neighbors in the dark, if it was only a natural fireball.

There are pleanty of military first strike deterrent detection devices in play.
This is not really one of them...publically.

So. If they are closing them down to any public or semi-public agencies, then they are doing so for a specific reason which involves the public ability to determine was that BOOM nuclear or non-nuclear, and where was the boom, and which direction did it come from.

So again...WHY?

[edit on 11-6-2009 by GriffinRD]

[edit on 11-6-2009 by GriffinRD]

Okay, I agree with the main reason of classifying everything because the satellite the images came from is classified, I agree with that. But looking into this a little more from a Ufology and conspiracy point of view:

The recent upsurge in UFO sightings and populace that are seeing and reporting these is becoming similar to the late 40s-60s era. Now more than ever Ufology is gaining support (albeit not enough quite yet), the majority of the world believe n the existence of intelligent life on other planets, around 40-50% believe the government is covering it up from the public, with a lot of the remaining percentage undecided.

In my humble opinion we have another "Robertson Panel-CIA Public Debunk and Suppression" project going on here, I believe that a lot of these 'meteors' are actually something else, there have been far too many IMO in a short time. Is this all fact? No, I do not know, but it is speculation and speculation based on somewhat solid grounds. So no one, not even scientists (unless they are military with clearance) can view these images anymore? One would think that if this satellite was so sensitive then the DoD wouldn't have let the images ever be seen, North Korea has been a threat for longer than just the last month or two. Something is going on here IMO and it is not just the NK issue and nuclear detection. A secret weapon deployment? Knowledge of something big coming our way from space? Cover-up of increased UFO activity? I do not know, I am only throwing this out there.~Justin