Question about satellites

[ArmySGT.]

If you know your enemies radios, then you know the probable frequencies they will be using. If freq hopping harder sure. Still possible. Your not trying to decode it just follow it back.

Harder to get a receiver between the satellite and its ground receiving station. to get the best fix on the transmitter.

Just back trace the signal to the active satellite. Home on signal, kinetic kill weapon.

Now we can do it from an AEGIS destroyer, don't need an F-15 or B-52 to get the missile aloft.

[Mohoender]

Now we can do it from an AEGIS destroyer, don't need an F-15 or B-52 to get the missile aloft.

I agree but in T2K that capability doesn't exist and never will.

[James Langham]

French Guyana. North East side of the South American Continent. An equatorial country.

Oops....

So much for my memory...

[Mohoender]

Oops....

So much for my memory...

Actually my step father is currently working in Yaounde (Cameroon) and has come back from Kourou (French Guyana) a few years ago. Basically, if not for the people he would not see the difference: same plants, same humidity, same temperatures, same ground types. Therefore, your mistake is understandable.

[dragoon500ly]

needless to say, the actual range of the US ASAT is still classified, but enough comments have been leaked over the years to indicate that it was only capable of reaching low-earth orbit. Its primary targets were the various reconnaissance platforms. The communications and GPS platforms are at a higher orbit, these would have more likely fallen victim to the various EMP pulses, especially in the 1995-1998 time frame.

[Legbreaker]

Something else to think about is that you don't necessarily need to attack the satellite itself to render it useless. If it could be "persuaded" (by hacking) to fire it's thrusters and destabilise it's orbit it may just destroy itself (could use up all it's fuel before it's true owners regain control).
Also attacking and destroying ground stations could have the same result - updates and orbit corrections would be near impossible to upload to the satellite and end up with the same result as direct hacking (re-entry).
Physical destruction of ground stations isn't all that necessary either - as previously mentioned EMP will wreak havoc on computer systems and in the time it takes to conduct repairs...

All in all satellites are pretty damn vulnerable in a world wide war involving nukes. In a conventional war then yes, you'd probably need to go after the satellites themselves as the level of destruction on the ground just isn't going to be a major problem - control can be handed off to another ground station whereas EMP is likely to render ALL ground stations out of action at least temporarily. Conventional warfare just isn't going to cut it to eliminate more than a small percentage of satellites.

[Fusilier]

The communications and GPS platforms are at a higher orbit, these would have more likely fallen victim to the various EMP pulses, especially in the 1995-1998 time frame.

I have my doubts at to EMP knocking out all of the satellites. All satellites are shielded against natural electromagnetic radiation to some length, military much more than commercial. But even commercial ones have stood the test of time up against large amounts of incoming electromagnetic radiation and have continued working. It's a hostile environment in which they are positioned.

I also am hesitant to think one side would sacrifice all of its own (and allied) satellites in the area just to take out some of the enemy's. EMP doesn't discriminate whose satellites get damaged and who's doesn't and I can't see either side wanted to go blind just to blind their opponent.

[Legbreaker]

All satellites are shielded against natural electromagnetic radiation to some length...

This is a good point, however as stated, you don't necessarily have to attack and take out the satellites directly to render them useless/destroy them.
Take out the control interface with them and they might as well not exist.

GPS systems and portable uplink units may work for a while, but without updates and corrections from the ground, they will soon fall out of position and either burn up on re-entry or be otherwise rendered completely useless.

[dragoon500ly]

To be sure, these platforms are shielded against solar winds and the radiation belt, but nobody really knows just how resistant they would be following EMP from a few hundred nukes.

But it all boils down to the canon material does it not

[Legbreaker]

Very true, and being essentially just a game, we can throw physics out the window if we as GMs so feel.

[Mohoender]

Very true, and being essentially just a game, we can throw physics out the window if we as GMs so feel.

GM.. Two letters that define petty lunch table tyrants.

[dragoon500ly]

You say that like it is a bad thing!

And I deny any rumors that I am a killer GM!

[natehale1971]

I've been looking up some info on the GPS Satellite Network... and this is what i've found.

22 February 1989 - 09 October 1985. Block I GPS Satellite network (12). NAVSTAR-1 to NAVSTAR-12

14 February 1989 - 1 October 1990. Block II GPS Satellite network (9). NAVSTAR II-1 to NAVSTAR II-9

26 November 1990 - 06 November 1997. Block IIA GPS satellite network (19). GPS IIA-1 to GPS IIA-19

17 January 1997 - 06 November 2004. Block IIR satellite network (13). GPS IIR-1 to GPS IIR-13

26 September 2005 - 17 August 2009. Block IIR-M satellite network (8). IIR-M-1 to GPS IIR-M-8


I also found out about GLONASS satellite navigation system network... the soviet union and the Eastern Block's version of GPS. I also am reading about a Chinese AND a European version of GPS.

12 October 1982 - 10 December 1995. The Soviet Union launches into orbit the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) network, their answer to the American Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite network.


With this kind of coverage, it's very possible that GPS (or it's equivilents) could still be operating in the Cannon Twilight 2000 timeline.

[mikeo80]

GM.. Two letters that define petty lunch table tyrants.

Now wait just a moment there....I represent that remark!!!!

My $0.02

Mike

[mikeo80]

OT: US ASAT Launch

I had forgotten all of the hoopla about this launch. It happened in 2008. Well outside of the T2K universe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-satellite_weapon

However, these things had to be in development in the mid 1990's. It stands to reason that under the pressure of war, the R&D would have been pushed as hard as possible.

Could this have been deployed Hard to say. The Ticonderoga class Aegis cruiser was introduced in 1983.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticonderoga_class_cruiser

The Arleigh Burke class destroyer was indroduced in 1988.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arleigh_Burke_class_destroyer

Both types had the Aegis fire control and detection system.

So it is possible that the US ASAT program would have continued as others have speculated. The F-15 Eagles and B-52 BUFF's would also have been available as launch platforms.

My $0.02

Mike