Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sm.unisys.com!csun!polyslo!jmckerna
From: jmckerna@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (THE VIKING)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Info wanted on Atlantis "secret" military satellite payload
Message-ID: <6464@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU>
Date: 6 Dec 88 10:08:10 GMT
References: <684@pyuxd.UUCP> <1988Dec4.225033.18207@utzoo.uucp>
Reply-To: jmckerna@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (THE VIKING)
Organization: Cal Poly State University -- San Luis Obispo
Lines: 19

In article <1988Dec4.225033.18207@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
>The giveaway is the low-altitude (well, relatively low, it's high for the
>shuttle) and high-inclination orbit.  This is a spysat of some kind, very
>probably a KH-12.  It's a fairly good bet that the KH-12 looks a lot like
>the Hubble telescope.

The media has said they believe the satellite uses an very powerful imaging
radar, with a 1 meter resolution. While that does not preclude an optical
system, it seems unlikely that a satellite with such a powerful radar system
would also have an optical system as powerful as the Hubble telescope.

The media also reports that the name of the satellite is "Lacrosse", although
it might also be called the KH-12.

John L. McKernan.                    Student, Computer Science, Cal Poly S.L.O.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   [...imagine a time when evil Man is infecting the solar system...]
"DEATH TO THE BARBARIC, SATANIC, GENETICALLY INFERIOR MARTIAN BACTERIA"!!!!!!
  -- Redneck frontiersman, 2050.