The United States sent into orbit "spy satellite"

On Tuesday, the portal defensenews.com announced the delivery to the ISS of a prototype of the Kestrel Eye microsatellite reconnaissance. The device was delivered by the American SpaceX Dragon.

“Satellites developed under the Kestrel Eye program are relatively small space objects capable of transmitting images of its surface to Earth. Their main advantages are low weight (50 kg), compact size and low cost (about $ 2 million for a serial sample), as well as the ability to transmit high-quality images to mobile devices in real time, ”says the publication Warspot.

Kestrel Eye promo video released in 2010 year

The Kestrel Eye program officially launched in 2008. The first satellite (Block 1 modification) was to go into orbit in 2011. However, this did not happen. In 2012, work began on creating a prototype of the Block 2 modification, which was delivered to the International Space Station two days ago.

According to Chip Hardy, Kestrel Eye program manager, two ground stations are ready to work with new satellites. “With the help of new equipment, the military will be able to conduct satellite reconnaissance directly on the battlefield, without requesting intelligence information from headquarters,” he explained.

If the satellite is successfully tested, the US Army will keep 30-like devices in orbit. The service life of each satellite is about a year, after which they will be replaced by the next modifications.

Comments

[1 Navigator]

Well, what without it. This is a sacred thing for mattresses.

[Tusv]

Their main advantages are light weight (50 kg), compact size and low cost (about $ 2 million per serial model), as well as the ability to transfer high-quality images to military personnel’s mobile devices in real time. ”

Well yes. Cheap. Only 60 million a year. Orbiting is more expensive. But every year new

[voyaka uh]

When put into orbit, they pay for weight. Lighter - cheaper.
Recently earned - transmitted signals to Earth - the lightest satellite
in history: four GRAMS.
Running it is cheap.

[vkl.47]

Bring an empty cardboard box into orbit. This is a crap business.
A taxi driver is the same as carrying a little boy or a big uncle. The price at the destination is one

[Blackmokona]

It’s right to compare with a truck, and you can drag thousands of small boxes, not just one large container.

[Tusv]

Quote: voyaka uh

When withdrawing to an order, they pay for weight. Lighter - cheaper

.
Well of course. But here it’s like in a taxi. You’ll go alone or four, for your feed the difference is significant

[igorserg]

if only to find out the approximate price of putting the "weight" into orbit for comparison, the atoms, despite their rockets, the Americans launch a lot of satellites with our protons.

[Blackmokona]

Falcon-9 22.8 tons, for 62 million dollars
Proton-M 23 tons, for 65 million.

[igorserg]

almost flush. I wonder how things are with cost. For falcons, the return stage is in plus, in minus the fuel costs for the return of the stage, the restoration of the return stage, the risks of reusing the return stage.

[Blackmokona]

The prime cost of both is a secret, commercial and state, respectively. According to indirect data, Musk from SpaceX is transferring money to Tesla, and the Khrunechev Center (Proton Producer) is spinning in a debt hole.
On return, the situation is this, minus 30% PN, and minus more than 50% of the cost of the first stage, which is 75% of the cost of Falcon-9.
The costs of consumables at Falcon-9 are insignificant, 200 thousand dollars for all fuel, gases and other necessary.

[igorserg]

Debt pit is a subjective concept ... enterprise management is not connected with the quality of engineering. The only thing that is bad in protons is poisonous fuel, besides it’s probably expensive.

[Blackmokona]

But it is directly related to cost.

[Tusv]

Quote: igorserg

if only to find out the approximate price of putting the "weight" into orbit for comparison, the atoms, despite their rockets, the Americans launch a lot of satellites with our protons

.
Ask to put your satellite into orbit. Delivery orders are not accepted six months before the launch of the launch vehicle. It all depends on the start price. Average about 70, Proton 90, Delta and Ariana 5 from 120

[kirgiz58]

Quote: voyaka uh

When put into orbit, they pay for weight. Lighter - cheaper.

Not so simple. The cargo compartment still has a limited volume. But this is not the main thing. The main thing - why was the “spy satellite” sent to the ISS? Spy on our astronauts in real time? Or for their astronauts, so as not to cut themselves? But isn’t afraid of NASA that ours will win, for example, in cards, and will be taken away to us (is it easy)?

[Blackmokona]

With the ISS, all sorts of small satellites are often launched.

[Blackmokona]

Falcon-9 displays 22.8 tons for 62 million, i.e. 456 of such devices if loaded to the maximum.

[voyaka uh]

The Elon Musk special: 30% off your flight in a used SpaceX rocket
Musk offers customers a launch into orbit for 40 million at the used first stage.
And there are mobile operators who have agreed.

[kos2910]

Quote: BlackMokona

i.e. 456 such devices

Everything is in order with the weight, but how about the dimensions? Maybe a dozen stuffed, and even then it is doubtful

[Blackmokona]

There, under the fairing, the bus will fit

[Blackmokona]

The device was delivered by the SpaceX Dragon American launch vehicle.

The Falcon-9 launch vehicle, and the Dragon is a spaceship.
PH and QC do not confuse

[babali]

The device was delivered by the SpaceX Dragon American launch vehicle.

All the same, not on a trampoline

[HEATHER]

Awesome news! And then they and we do not launch such.All the same, not on a trampoline On our engines. Do you make your laziness? Or is it cheaper to buy? Politics may soon come to a standstill. And then bye-bye. I know who will survive. You do not enter this list.

[Blackmokona]

Dragon launched Falcon-9 rocket, which rises on the American engines Marilyn, the development and production of SpaceX

[babali]

Spacex dragon

On our engines.

On what?

[HEATHER]

RD is not the topic? Made their engines well. About traction-? Falcon is too small for RD.

[Blackmokona]

Falcon-9 displays 22.8 tons at DOE
Atlas-5, which is on the taxiway, 18.8 tons on the DOE, with five TTU strapping.

[Christ-chekist]

This handsome man deduced. And then he sat down.

[corporal]

Quote: Christochist

This handsome man deduced.

Great video. I'll take it to memorize.

I wonder if there will be any of the patriots who will remember Hollywood in vain?

[Christ-chekist]

So they each launch and each landing broadcast on YouTube in real time, hung all the cameras

[Tsoy]

Quote: Christochist

So they each launch and each landing broadcast on YouTube in real time, hung all the cameras

And yet there are those who even consider video as a rendered cartoon. Don't underestimate fools.

[Progressor]

How are we doing? I would like at least some comparison ...

[Blackmokona]

This year, at the current moment
USA (18 launches, of which 11 SpaceX)
Russia 9 launches

[corporal]

Quote: Progressor

I would like at least some comparison ...

As I understand it, you wanted to ask when our soldiers

will be able to conduct satellite reconnaissance directly on the battlefield, without contacting the headquarters for intelligence

?
I’m also interested.

[Goblin13]

Cartoons are good. Let's see how it will be in practice and what the results will be.

[Christ-chekist]

Full YouTube launches and landings Falcon. If you had a desire to look, you would have looked a year ago and knew what the results were. Or do you expect that you will be shown the results of the work of reconnaissance satellites in the form of images in the public domain?

[Old26]

.

Quote: kirgiz58

Not so simple. The cargo compartment still has a limited volume. But this is not the main thing. The main thing - why was the “spy satellite” sent to the ISS? Spy on our astronauts in real time? Or for their astronauts, so as not to cut themselves? But isn’t afraid of NASA that ours will win, for example, in cards, and will be taken away to us (is it easy)?

Then he’s in the cargo compartment of the Dragon ship, which was launched by Falcon-9 v1.2 launch vehicle, and not American rocket SpaceX Dragonas in the article

Quote: Tusv

Well yes. Cheap. Only 60 million a year. Orbiting is more expensive. But every year new

In fact, the manufacturer’s website indicates the cost of 1 million dollars. 2 million is the cost of creating and managing a satellite. In any case, it is much more profitable than using satellites of the KN-11 type for such purposes. Yes, KN-11 has a 10 times higher resolution (15 cm versus 1,5 meters for this satellite). but the price is not comparable. 2 million for a small satellite versus 1 billion for a Keyhole. Well, 50 kg against 13,5 tons. For tactical units, this permission is sufficient to make initial decisions. The satellite transmits to the terminal information at a frequency of 2 images per second. The area of ​​each image is 8 square kilometers.

[vla603910 Borodin]

And for what the hell is the Russian space station serving as a breeding ground for American spy satellites ??? ... Is it now such a business at the expense of the country's security ???

[Blackmokona]

75% of financing and more than half of the station belongs to the USA, why is it Russian?

[CONTROL]

The United States sent into orbit "spy satellite"

... and Russia sent a satellite- "border dog" into orbit ... the nickname is "Scarlet"!

[Old26]

Quote: vla603910 Borodin

And for what the hell is the Russian space station serving as a breeding ground for American spy satellites ??? ... Is it now such a business at the expense of the country's security ???

ISS is already Russian? Well, I didn’t. Most of the station NOT OUR. Yes, the level of comments on VO falls below the plinth. Absolutely not knowing the subject of what you are writing is enchanting ...