I'm not saying it's aliens, but...

[335clone]

They think he left a bomb.

What I was saying is there are thousands of satellites watching everything - no one spies on White Sands with a telescope.

I don't know about thousands.....

We are flying the largest constellation of imaging sats, ever, and we are in the low hundreds. Government assets are typically geostationary, so they watch one point constantly. I doubt we are watching ourselves, so. The odds of a small sat taking pictures on any consistent basis of White Sands or anywhere else that isn't part of a constellation like ours are pretty slim. So yeah, a terrestrial based asset is much more likely in play than an orbital asset, if in fact anyone is actually doing that.

 

[335clone]

Satellites aren't real good at seeing through stuff like this...

More pedals than the Tour De France

Yep, you have to catch them on the move. We do have the ability to look through clouds, and to a lesser extent, water.

 

[mongooz]

I don't know about thousands.....

We are flying the largest constellation of imaging sats, ever, and we are in the low hundreds. Government assets are typically geostationary, so they watch one point constantly. I doubt we are watching ourselves, so. The odds of a small sat taking pictures on any consistent basis of White Sands or anywhere else that isn't part of a constellation like ours are pretty slim. So yeah, a terrestrial based asset is much more likely in play than an orbital asset, if in fact anyone is actually doing that.

the Keyhole sats aren't geostationary, and they can be reassigned in their orbits. (although NRO doesn't like to do that)
just sayin'

 

[335clone]

the Keyhole sats aren't geostationary, and they can be reassigned in their orbits. (although NRO doesn't like to do that)
just sayin'

Do you have any idea how much that costs, and that moving an asset like that would only happen if a higher priority target arose? I don't think we move 1 Billion $ + sats around like checkers. They are where they are for a reason.

 

[Danhedonia]

Google says: Currently there are approximately 1,459 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth.

There are over 2,000 that are no longer in service.

Space junk is real!

 

[surfsteve]

 

[mongooz]

Do you have any idea how much that costs, and that moving an asset like that would only happen if a higher priority target arose? I don't think we move 1 Billion $ + sats around like checkers. They are where they are for a reason.

that's why i said NRO does not like to move them. but there have been occasions when the DCI has had it done.
in any case, that's not what's going on at the observatory.

 

[335clone]

Google says: Currently there are approximately 1,459 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth.

There are over 2,000 that are no longer in service.

Space junk is real!

Yes, yes it is.
http://stuffin.space/
(look under 'groups' for Iridium 33) :weebs

And if you are really interested
http://www.satflare.com/


As for 1,459...
that is total satellites (though I disagree with that number), not total imaging satellites. Most sats do not take pictures.

 

[Danhedonia]

No, most don't. Most are microwave for telco. But a shitload do.

 

[dmn23]

Aliens would have been infinitely preferable.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1222935/...sure-sparked-by-child-porn-investigation.html

 

[Danhedonia]

Sad trombone.