Expensive U.S. Spy Satellite Not Working

Penguinshit writes to mention a Reuters article about some trouble the U.S. is having communicating with a spy satellite. The sensor package was launched last year by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, and is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It has apparently hung in a low orbit for months now, and efforts to communicate with it have been unsuccessful. From the article: "The official said the problems were substantial and involved multiple systems, adding that U.S. officials were working to reestablish contact with the satellite because of the importance of the new technology it was meant to test and demonstrate. The other source said the satellite had been described to him as 'a comprehensive failure.' There was no suggestion by either of the sources that the satellite had been purposely damaged as part of a terrorist attack. Another government official said he had no information about any attacks on U.S. satellites."

Space Shuttle, CEV, and Failed Sats

[AKAImBatman]

Anyone remember the pioneering days when real men (and women) weren't afraid to light a giant roman candle [wikipedia.org] under their posteriors? Back in those days, we would have retasked a spaceflight, go and check the sat out, and get it running again. What I woudln't give for that space capability [wikipedia.org] again. ;)

Re:Space Shuttle, CEV, and Failed Sats

[AKAImBatman]

it it almost certainly cheaper to build and launch a new satelite then it is to send someone up to fix this one.

At "hundreds of millions of dollars", I'd say it's a toss-up given the Shuttle's current launch cost of $450 million [nasa.gov]. If the additional stop to check on the sat doesn't detract significantly from the original mission, then it might even be cost effective. In the Space Shuttle's more nominal cost per launch days, it would have been much cheaper to go have a looksee. (Like was done with the Hubble.) There's also the consideration of whether the expense to get the existing sat up and running NOW is worth the cost over waiting five years for a replacement to be launched.

The CEV's simpler design will almost certainly be cheaper than launching new spy sats.

Re:Terrorism?

[_Sharp'r_]

Lee conquering the south?

I know that most US schools aren't big on teaching history any more unless it can somehow be related to a teacher's pet cause, but hopefully your comment is just a typo and you really meant something like Sherman's march to the sea.

Just in case it isn't clear, Lee led the Southern Armies in the Civil War, he didn't conquer the South.

Re:Terrorism?

[Brummund]

First of all, it is My Lai. Second, the massacre was in 1968. Third, the massacre was not done in a an attack on the village, it was done AFTER an initial attack on the village, where the US soldiers had full control of it.

Check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_massacre [wikipedia.org] for more details.

Re:Nothing special here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Do you have a cite?

For a good mainstream media examination of just how screwed up the NRO is, check out this article by US News and World Report [usnews.com].