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Path: utzoo!utcsri!hogg
From: hogg@utcsri.UUCP (John Hogg)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: "Shadowing" geosync satellites
Message-ID: <1770@utcsri.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Dec-85 11:26:33 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsri.1770
Posted: Thu Dec 12 11:26:33 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Dec-85 12:19:37 EST
References: <441@brl-tgr.ARPA> <605@riccb.UUCP>
Reply-To: hogg@utcsri.UUCP (John Hogg)
Distribution: net
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 22
Summary: 

A poster has raised the possibility that space station owners may be liable
for damages due to shadowing communications satellites in geosynchronous
orbits.  Another poster correctly pointed out that this will not happen 
every time around - not by a long shot, since a station would not be put
into equatorial orbit.  Now allow me to finish pointing out the obvious.
An object in LEO moves on the order of 10**4 m/sec.  Assume a
one-KILOmetre diameter space station - that's a kilometre of material with
shadowing properties.  It will cause a 1/10 second glitch in your signal,
assuming no beam-spreading and atmospheric diffraction effects allow the
beam to "bend" back far enough to reach your receiver.  A smaller station
or one which is less than opaque to a radio signal will of course have a
smaller effect.

Now for the key question: do you call your lawyer when a 747 flies
overhead?  Do you KNOW?
-- 

John Hogg
Computer Systems Research Institute, UofT
...utzoo!utcsri!hogg
Disclaimer: the above may or may not contain sarcasm, and doesn't contain
smiley-faces.  If you can't read, don't flame me.