Chinese Satellite Interception
 

Our current and increasing use of GPS and other satellite nav systems could be at risk in times of strife.

Perhaps it may be time to further develop inertial systems as well as look after the present VOR network and even NDBs.

Might wake the military up a bit as well with GPS guided weapons.

oscar

This is well know fact that if States, Russia or China will go into a full-scale war against each other the GPS system and satellite-based comms will be down in a couple of hours. A couple of debris explosions made by missiles on the orbit will destroy all satellites there. This is why most hi-tech weapons using GPS only as a supplemetal source of positioning/navigation information.
So it is all about these countries to remain calm to each other. Anyway if that happens you would not need to programm your FMS...

Do you really think GPS accuracy would not be affected in times of conflict? Quite simple to do.Larger airliner nav is by Inertial Reference Systems updated by GPS inputs (which can simply be turned off). As for little aeroplane navigation, they would probably be grounded at such times, so not a problem. But shouldn't this be in Tech Log or Questions? Rumours and News- no?

it is news and as such would be ok here.

all planes can still use POW nav in emergencies.


Peak Out Window.


AND if China blasted US gps sats...then CHINA couldn't use them against US.

The recent Communist Chinese missile knockout of their own satellite was at 500 miles altitude. The GPS satellites are 10,900 miles up, so there is immense amount of space between them. It would be much easier to jam them from a constellation of lower satellites transmitting on the same frequencies.

The low earth satellites presently in reach of Chinese missiles only provide a bit more precision, which is important in a CAT IIIb landing, but no big deal to a bomb.

Edit: Ooh, that was dumb; thanks, Gorrilla. I was thinking of WAAS, or whatever they call it now, which has nothing to do with CAT IIIb, at least not yet.

Beyond this, a Chinese ground based laser has blinded at least one of the US spy satellites. That makes it harder to monitor North Korea.

I am more concerned they would knock out the GEO satellites, killing my reception of Benny Hill reruns.:O

GB

I blame Reagan for giving them the idea....or was that George Lucas? Can't remember any more...and I'm sure that's due to the organophosphates I have to breathe from our crappy APU's! Pardon, who said that?:confused:

News to me. :hmm: :confused:

....If the former Soviet Union, China or the US do decide to duke it out with each other; and kick it all off by knocking down a few saterlites, personally, I think the accuraccy of your GPS will be the least of your worries....:bored:

:} IRS only navigation anybody ???

Arms race aside, the worst of it is the debris they have created.
 

Worked for decades prior.


Regarding the GPS satellites, realise that the 'civilian signals' still have an off switch. :eek:

Triple-INS only (Delco Carousel), with DME updating.

This is in 2007, yes, I know ...

So, join the eLORAN campaign. Didn't hear about it? I didn't either, until a few days ago.

Pop open the quarterlight, out with the sextant, follow the arc to Arcturus and speed on to Spica...

R

New NAV system on the way
I have heard the Boffins are looking at a type of astral navigation similar to using a sextant but deriving position from many stars at once, totally passive and usable day night cloudy etc due to the system uses the detectable radiation from these stars

Could be all BS but the US had GPS for years before they allowed it for civillian use and GPS has been around for years ...:ok: Could be the next big thing?

The old threat was to be bombed back to the stone age, I guess the new one would be bombed back to the NDB age.


I wonder just how high on the targeting food chain GPS sats would be given the possibility of a limited number of missiles that could be fired in an opening salvo. I would think the plethora of KH and similar would be a first choice.

And I believe they still reserve the right to switch SA back on, without prior warning.