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From: dietz%USC-CSE@USC-ECL.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: OMNI ASAT article
Message-ID: <1271@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Jun-84 14:15:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.1271
Posted: Mon Jun 25 14:15:00 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Jun-84 01:35:39 EDT
Lines: 11

The most recent issue of OMNI magazine has an article by Oberg about
a technique the Soviets could use to wipe out all satellites in
geosynchronous orbit.

The idea is to throw small objects into a retrograde GEO orbit.  Direct
launch from the ground would be prohibitively expensive.  Instead, the
russians would use the moon to sling the asat onto a retrograde path,
with a small burn when it achieves geosynchronous altitude to
circularize the orbit.  Upon command, the satellite would expel its
cargo of pebbles/sand grains/etc.  US satellites in geo would encounter
the objects at twice orbital velocity, once every 12 hours.