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From: wb9omc@ee.ecn.purdue.edu (Duane P Mantick)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Hubble Space Telescope goes Recon
Message-ID: <1991Apr29.051328.4935@amd.com>
Date: 23 Apr 91 21:06:36 GMT
References: <1991Apr23.053603.23229@amd.com>
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From: wb9omc@ee.ecn.purdue.edu (Duane P Mantick)


[ 11 unnecessary quote-lines deleted.  --CDR ]

	Most of the time commercial or private sector uses tend to follow
recently declassified military hardware.  What I am saying is that however
sensitive the hubble-bubble is, I'd bet that the KH12 and its follow-ons
are better, especially if you're only looking hundreds of miles instead
of hundreds of light-years......

	As an example of the military making sure the private sector
is a bit behind, NASA once requested an SR71 from the USAF for high
speed flight research.  USAF gave them #951 and "demilitarized" it,
whatever that means.  If I had to guess, it probably means all the
good stuff (electronically and optically) got ripped out - and I don't
seem to recall 951 ever setting any blazing speed records, either.
Same is true for the previous Blackbird, the YF12A.  #936 *did* set
a speed record while it was in military garb, *before* being handed
to NASA....you might argue that NASA isn't in the business of setting
speed records, but *research* might wish to pose the question 'how
fast does this sucker REALLY go'.  I dare say that USAF didn't want
anybody finding out.....  :-)

Duane