Yowiehunters Forum

Interesting !! Trump just announced the creation of a new military arm of the US gov called Space Force. Seems Space Force has secretly been around for many years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb3f7c_qFls

Donald Trump launches new military 'Space Force'

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-19/t ... ce/9884718

That video was worth a look. A quote from it:

“From the ostensible Big Bang to the present, human civilisation represents an infinitesimally small fraction of time and yet we fancy ourselves at the cutting edge of evolution in the universe”.

I’ve believed that for a long time. When the immense age of the universe is taken into consideration, around 13.8 thousand million years, it is clear that any extra terrestrial civilisations that have managed to pop up in the billions of known galaxies could be millions or even billions of years more advanced than us. That’s assuming the alien races have found a way to survive the eons... I also believe the cosmos is teeming with life in most of the habitable zones around quadrillions of stars. Scientists say there are more stars in the heavens than grains of sand on every beach on earth! Next time you are at the beach sifting sand through your fingers, try to imagine how vast this universe really is.

Hi Searcher

yes that quote stood out for me also.

A little late to this party, but i wouldn't interpret space force into meaning a hoard of space fighters and a space navy.

Fact is that space and more importantly satellites are what the space force is referring to. Both maintaining our satellites and denying usage or services from theirs.

Nations militaries rely on satellites for both targeting, gps style navigation and for C3 (command, control, communications) continuity. Disrupting that gives you an advantage. Also, its nice to be able to deny ISR and surveillance by enemy satellites.

I wont say how they do it, but you can safely bet any talk about pre existing secretive space capabilities are referring to that. Not Solar Warden type space fleets.

Another thing to consider, perhaps some aspects of a space force are ground based. Would be nice if there was a way to control the ionosphere to your benefit.

Further things to consider when thinking about a secret space program. Would you really want to launch your secret spy, C3 and other satellites publically. Like by using the space shuttle or agencies out of your control? You'd probably want your own payload delivery systems that you control. And you'd want them to get stuff "up there" without it being obvious or trackable like every single rocket launch anywhere on earth is. Not only do you know when something has gone up you also know where in orbit they put it. And you dont want that if its secrecy is what makes it useful.

So along with your own rockets, you'd want tsto and ssto vehicles (loud rumblings in southern California anyone?) And maybe even silent devices that would have to be very large that could float things up there (hudson valley and jpa similar devices?)

Now this isnt to say that perhaps they really have cracked the science behind and built something that would best be described as "home built ufos." But do we really know what their missions are? A large swath of what people report as ufos may not be space related at all. And the ones that are, perhaps they dont lend themselves well to being weaponized and thus dont have much military usage but due to their intrinsic danger (the technology itself) and extreme security needed are launched from military installations by civilian contractors.

Maybe some of the above stuff if you dont understand whats going on looks very weird, almost alien, but in reality is just novel and quite down to earth and doing less than glamorous tasks that aren't star trek related.

I dunno some things to think about regarding secret space programs and space forces.

More on this topic. I have been reading about the USAF's X-37B secret space plane. It is relatively small with a fuselage length of only 29 feet. Compare this to the retired Space Shuttle with a 184 feet length!

Nevertheless, early this month the X-37B was photographed by an amateur astronomer in the Netherlands. Boeing was involved with its development so lets hope it doesn't have the flight control software problems associated with their new 737 Max jetliner...

Just like the U2 from the sixties, this aircraft is thought to be primarily a spy plane. Read about it here.
https://www.universetoday.com/142788/sk ... -in-orbit/

Hey searcher,

The x37b doesn't do spy work. She's running experiments and testing some equipment. Her role is classified because so is the equipment, but shes not a spy plane or moveable spy satellite.

Much of what shes doing would frankly be boring unless you were a geek in certain fields. However, some of the stuff she was testing in her earlier missions will make it into the civilian sector in only a few years.

X37b is one of those things thats only exciting because the public doesn't know what shes doing up there and their imagination runs wild.

Also, ive stood less than ten feet away from the spaceshuttle. She seems so big on film but when you're right next to her she seems so small. Reminds you just how fragile an endeavour it was being up there in one of them. Its extremely moving to see the shuttle that close. You literally fight back tears and get choked up. The shuttles have meant so much for humanity. The emotional impact is big when your right there with one in front of you.

Hey bassplyr, must have been an awesome experience to get up close and personal with the Shuttle! All I can claim is being on board the 'Spruce Goose' a couple of times...

As for whether or not the X-37B does some spy work on the side, I can only quote the article: "we still have no idea what its true purpose is. But so far, the smart money appears to be on it being an advanced spy plane."

If the craft is fitted with cameras, then it would surely be hi-tech state of the art equipment. It doesn't take much imagination to believe the USAF would use this facility to their advantage. And of course they are not going publicly say it's a spyplane! That's just ludicrous.

Anyway, I'm sure all will be revealed in due course. After all, the first flights of this vehicle happened almost 20 years ago.

Meant to say 'almost ten years ago'. An edit button would be nice!

Hey i walked inside the spruce goose when visiting the queen mary as a kid. Thats a big bird. Pretty cool. You drop by to visit the queen mary too. She doesn't look so great these days. Even has a dilapidated romeo class Russian sub next to her you can gawk at. She doesnt look so good either. However, the Iowa is right down the street and shes definitely worth the tour. Beautiful ship.

I wouldn't go by the article or journalist quotes when it comes to classified aerospace. What shes doing up there is classified but its not that big of a secret. There are people who do know, they just arent saying in public or outside of trusted people. Its just not as exciting as spy daring doo. There are much better assets out there for the work spyplanes do. Much, much better. The AF doesn't need the x37b to do spywork.

The public will find out in due course on much of it as things its testing come out into the public sector. Some of it in just a few years. If you're into certain hobbies you'll totally geek out when they do. If not, you'll be like "who cares, thats boring."

Thanks basplyr. Will take all that on board. When officialdom eventually enlightens us with announcements, I'll recall your words.

No problem. Not everything she does will come out in the open but some of her earlier missions will cross over into the commercial sector. Give it two or so years. You might not make the connection at first though cause its rather mundane.

With the AF and spyplanes. Many of those never have and likely never will become public. They likely will never leave the black world. However the innovations one of them thats over 20 years old now are just coming into vogue with venture SST startups. They have some familiar and interesting projects they're proposing.

Unfortunately the really big breakthrough in that department is going to stay dark for a long time. Don't expect a majority of the elements of the AFRE program to go public anytime soon. Even if it would revolutionise commercial air travel.