U.S. Withholding Satellite Data

plover writes "Because of Congressional legislation passed quietly in 2003, the Air Force Space Command will no longer distribute space surveillance data via NASA. There was supposed a three year transitional period where the data was to be made available via a NASA web site, but earlier this month their transitional server went down hard, and NASA has decided to not rebuild it. (It was scheduled to be shut down on 31 March 2005 anyway.) The only way to obtain satellite data now is by signing up with the official Space-Track website. Part of the agreement to obtaining data from their site is that you agree to not redistribute their data. Of course, amateurs are still free to redistribute their observations, including those of classified satellites."

I am sure the bug is fixed in next version

[luvirini]

Of course, amateurs are still free to redistribute their observations, including those of classified satellites.

I mean this should clearly be made illegal, I mean publishing information of existance of something secret. I am sure that the next version of the bill will correct this bug.

Re:Homeland Security?

[CPgrower]

Bush didn't want any satellite photos of him smoking a joint [reuters.com].

Re: How did server go down?

[Black Parrot]

> They neglected to say how the origional server went down "hard". Did someone hack it?

Wikipedia was hosting it...

Re:keplerian elements

[cl191]

"Does anybody read the article?" No, of course not, you think people read Playboy for the articles too?

Re:Homeland Security?

[DingerX]

Yeah, there was some "Chatter" that OBL was aiming to take down a couple of spy satellites with a modified ICBM, so they took the information offline, forcing him back to "Plan B": firing that sucker at the US's Eastern Seaboard, where the vaunted US Missile Defense will interceive it with technology that Really Works(TM).

In a related development, Lockheed-Martin announced today it's new SatTrac(TM) feature, where your company can receive daily updates on the orbital patterns of nearly 1500 earth satellites for a modest starting subscription of $20,000/month. Specialized Hardware, Training seminars and Software customization can also be had for a modest fee.

Re:Homeland Security?

[PartyBoy!911]

Vaderland security! They don't want you to notice the Death Star..

Re:I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation....

[Kn0xy]

"Let's all wait for the chorus of "Now I'm moving to canada""

Never Fear, that choir moved last november. =)

Re:Homeland Security?

[blowdart]

The sight of the Goa'uld mothership would panic the normal population.

Oh sorry you said Air Force Space Command?

Re:Quietly passed

[Nefarious Wheel]

That is definitely part of the problem. There are simply too many laws with too many things in each law

There should be three houses of Congress; The Senate, the House of Representatives and the Board of Editors. The third house would be comprised of disenfranchised magazine editors whose sole and entire purpose was to repeal legislation the other two houses dreamed up.

Re:Homeland Security?

[secretsquirel]

or as he used to call them, a freedom joint.

Re:Definition of fascism

[XorNand]

Fascism has zero to do with corporations. This article has zero to do with Fascism OR corporations.

For before you mod me down for stating the obvious, I'm beginning to wonder if Slashcode parses and automatically mods up and comments containing "before you 'flame me|mod me down'".

Re:I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation....

[Supernoma]

What nukes? Who wants to blow up Canada? We're too busy up here smoking our medical marijuana and drinking our Canadian beer to piss off other nations.

Awww, man.

[Dark Coder]

No more on-line close up of Paris Hilton nude-sunbathing in the Carribean.

No it's those annoying saucers

[Bender Unit 22]

We don't have the money to keep photoshopping them out of the pictures. Those pesky aliens keeps showing up all the time.

Re:Quietly passed

[plover]

I've always wanted a "three strikes" law for legislators. If you vote in favor of three laws that are later overturned by the Supreme Court as being unconstitutional, you should be tried for treason.

There should be the severest consequences for the "criminal" legislation that the Congress emits. Putting fear into their hearts would be the best way to ensure they don't try taking rights away from the population.