Great work Zorgon on a good thread. I pretty much "buy" the possibility that there are "dark" space projects - I don't "see" how there can not
be at least some. To not do so would be potentially imprudent. Hardware and covert launches would not seem to be a problem if that was the desire.
It was interesting to read the concept space platform stuff on the NASA Technical Reports Server CR-181795
PDF from way back. Completely doable, complicated but
doable. $19,000,000 Russian space toilets? Um, yeah. OK. Sign here. Thanks for shopping Roskavia. Hey Yuri, we have enough to build extra Proton this
month.
The orbital photos are interesting too. Not conclusive, but worth additional follow up as John Lear has suggested. A great ATS community project
perhaps? I have seen stuff in the same general orbit as ISS both when shuttle was docked and undocked. Do I have photos? No. Just points of light
moving across the heavens to the naked eye.
I like John Lear's notion of several platforms in the same general orbit - it could explain the enormous amount of "junk" that seems to fly by
ISS/STS on a frequent basis and perhaps allow for "unpublicized" visits by STS on the way "uphill" and "downhill". I am not convinced that
Shuttle orbiters are used in this manner at this point. Possible? Technically? Yes.
Russian orbital heavy lift? No problem. Sea-Launch? Yup. And what about that there real big thing "intelligence" converted oil-rig-platform deal
America has floatin' round the Pacific? Maybe there are more? Put several Sea'Launches on that and still have room for helicopters - where is it?
You know what? I suspect there may even be hardware and humans in polar orbit. It would be strategically advantageous to have such global overflight
capabilty. Australia could be handy for either type of orbital launch - big place, Australia. Gear. The Russkies did have a "dark" Mir - there are
photos out on the Net somewhere.
The "Aquila" craft looks a bit like the "whatever" in my ATS signature... the size is even close enough to consider. Perhaps something
"next-gen" and long "dark"? Military dark. Near AG tech dark, but not flying saucer/particulization "dark". Hmmm. Beyond Aquila?
I also like the "Buzz" aka "Dr. Rendezvous" Aldrin as front man for covert-lift angle too. Plans within plans within plans. Quite a history that
Aldrin fellow, perhaps he has a deeper history - unwritten. There would need to be a bunch of launches pretty regularly unless there is AG heavy-lift
to orbit capabilities. Anybody got Admiral Bobbie Inman's number? LOL.
I will follow this thread and see where it leads.
Cheers,
Vic
[edit on 31-8-2007 by V Kaminski]