The new spy satellite, commissioned by the US military, will be able to broadcast video in real time from an area of tens of square kilometers
The MOIRE (Membrane Optic Imager Real-Time Exploitation) space video tracking system project was initiated by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) last year. Its goal is to compensate for the shortcomings of tactical air reconnaissance (all kinds of drones), which have restrictions on the coverage of the territory and the time of observation, and are also corny vulnerable to enemy air defense.
The satellites will hover over the territory of an active or potential enemy in a geosynchronous orbit. They will use large but very light membrane (thin-film) optics with an entrance aperture (diameter of the light beam at the entrance) of 20 m. For comparison: the aperture of NASA's promising space observatory James Webb Space Telescope, which can replace the legendary Hubble, is 6, 5 m.
According to DARPA requirements, surveillance must be carried out around the clock with an update rate of at least 1 time per second and simultaneous transmission of data to the control center. The coverage area must be at least 100 sq. km, linear resolution - not less than 3 m.
Although DARPA is also engaged in research projects, the purpose of these satellites will be purely military. According to the department, the system should track mobile missile launchers moving on the ground at speeds up to 100 km / h.
Ball Aerospace was the only company that presented a concept that satisfied customers from the Ministry of Defense. With her and signed a contract for $ 37 million. At the second stage, which recently started, the performers must build a reduced prototype of 5 m in size and test it in the laboratory. Then you need to make a full-size (10 m) version and check it in orbit. The finished satellite should cost no more than $ 500 million.
Andrey Velichko
