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Monday, December 17, 2012

Could X-37B Intercept North Korea Satellite?

Could X-37B Intercept North Korea Satellite?
John Clover in a Quora blog entry asks question many wonder, "Could X-37B Intercept North Koream Satellite?Top Secret X-37B spy plane (picture, left) could easily shift to a polar orbit so answer seems "yes"  but risk-benefit ratio makes maneuver seem unproductive? Clover writes, "there is almost no reason to do this though. First, there would be chaos in space warfare if we did, this is not a secret satellite, so if the US interfered with it, there would be consequences. Second, it probably really is a weather satellite, or worst case, a very rudimentary spy satellite. We would probably not glean much intelligence by collecting the satellite and inspecting it, the cost of such a project would be higher than the return. If we just wanted to remove the satellite from orbit, the US could do that with a ship launched missile, but even this is a risky proposition because of the potential interference caused by space debris." The above appraisal assumes rational leadership, which may be a subject open to question? The coincidence still fires one's imagination and makes prospect of real Star Wars seem closer to reality?

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