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From: al@vger.UUCP ( Informatix)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Destroy SPOT with an ASAT?
Message-ID: <364@vger.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Mar-86 18:53:45 EST
Article-I.D.: vger.364
Posted: Fri Mar  7 18:53:45 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Mar-86 09:16:15 EST
Organization: UC Santa Cruz, CIS Dept.
Lines: 14
Keywords: SPOT, ASAT

The French recently orbited the SPOT earth resources satellite with a
minimum resolution of 10 meters.  This resolution is good enough to
be militarily useful in some cases.  RUMOUR has it that there has been
some discussion in the Pentagon about destroying SPOT with an ASAT
should SPOT detect 'sensitive' military information not
normally available to anyone but the US and Soviet armed forces (both
organizations have satellites with far better resolution than SPOT).

My question for the net: under what circumstances should the US destroy
SPOT?

My own opinion: only if Congress has declared war on France.

I will summarize for the net if there is sufficient response.