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A comment on SpaceX says its rocket performed exactly as intended in Zuma launch. Parent comment

Re:SpaceX says its rocket performed exactly as intended in Z... by imglorp on Tuesday January 09, 2018 @01:07PM (#16108238)
Not much deniability for orbiting objects. Everything bigger than a golfball, and the launches to park them there, can be easily observed and cataloged by state actors. They might not know what every chunk of junk is for, but everyone knows who put it there. Even amateurs with small telescopes can play along for the larger chunks.

Eg: http://www.heavens-above.com/Satellites.aspx

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Re:SpaceX says its rocket performed exactly as intended in Z... by ceejayoz on Tuesday January 09, 2018 @01:22PM (#16108396)
Fake a failure and use stealth coatings. It has been tried with at least some success, and we wouldn't hear about the really successful ones... http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077830/ns/technology_and_science-...
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Re:SpaceX says its rocket performed exactly as intended in Z... by imglorp on Tuesday January 09, 2018 @02:47PM (#16109232)
Sure you can do the chaff thing, but the backyard telescope guys--and any big guys with radar--will still see a new object and log it. A little math will pair its orbit with the launch.
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Re:SpaceX says its rocket performed exactly as intended in Z... by ceejayoz on Tuesday January 09, 2018 @03:23PM (#16109652)
I'm not talking about chaff, I'm talking about low reflectivity paint (to reduce spotting via visual observation) and stealth to prevent radar detection (ala F-117 or B2). Maybe you even mosey on up to a known piece of debris and attach to it.

Chaff's handy for making it look like the launcher had an issue, but you need something else for ongoing evasion.

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Re:SpaceX says its rocket performed exactly as intended in Z... by imglorp on Tuesday January 09, 2018 @03:38PM (#16109816)
Ah, good point. Given that's 80s tech they're probably way ahead of this even. You're right, the oops-we-lost-it gambit is more relevant than ever.
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