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From: ke4zv!gary@gatech.edu (Gary Coffman)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Pegasus
Message-ID: <1991Apr17.055545.13756@amd.com>
Date: 15 Apr 91 23:28:54 GMT
References: <1991Mar30.020340.27985@amd.com> <1991Apr12.055442.14741@amd.com>
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From: ke4zv!gary@gatech.edu (Gary Coffman)


In article <1991Apr12.055442.14741@amd.com> PAISLEY%auvm.auvm.edu@VM1.gatech.edu writes:
>If Pegasus could be miniturized enough, it could be launched from a smaller
>aircraft (e.g. F-14 or other carrier-based aircraft).  This would give
>task-force commanders their own tactical satellite launching capability.
>Since these satellites would have to be very small, they wouldn't be able
>to last long, but that's no problem, since they would only be needed
>for short-term tactical use.

*Any* satellite is a global *strategic* asset. Any given target area would 
be visible, at best, 20 minutes per day to a low orbit satellite of the
type launchable by a Pegasus (or smaller!) rocket. The remaining 23 hours and 
40 minutes of the day, the satellite would be somewhere else. Also the very 
small payload of the suggested system would preclude the types of sensors 
needed for effective tactical recon. For example, cameras capable of the kind 
of resolution provided by our current recon satellites would be far too large 
and heavy for the Pegasus to launch. Far better for tactical commanders to
rely on aircraft recon and requests to strategic intelligence for satellite
pictures. 

Gary