MASINT: космические средства

[carlos]

Давно хотел разобраться в тонкостях такого буржуинского термина, как MASINT. В Пентагоне MASINT был признан как отдельное направление разведки в 1986.
Шесть основных разновидностей MASINT: Electro-optical, Nuclear, Geophysical, Radar, Materials, and Radiofrequency.

[carlos]

Electro-optical MASINT
Вот например википедия относит к его оптической разновидности спутники раннего предупреждения:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-optical_MASINT

Electro-optical MASINT also generates information on phenomena that emit, absorb, or reflect electromagnetic energy in the infrared, visible light, or ultraviolet spectra, phenomena where a "picture" is less important than the amount or type of energy reported. For example, a class of satellites, originally intended to give early warning of rocket launches based on the heat of their exhaust, reports energy wavelengths and strength as a function of location(s). There would be no value, in this specific context, to seeing a photograph of the flames coming out of the rocket.

Subsequently, when the geometry between the rocket exhaust and the sensor permits a clear view of the exhaust, IMINT would give a visual or infrared picture of its shape, while electro-optical MASINT would give, either as a list of coordinates with characteristics, or a "false-color" image, the temperature distribution, and spectroscopic information on its composition.

Также к оптической разновидности МАСИНТа авторы вики-статьи относят апгрейженные спутники "Vela"/NDS

There are several distinctive characteristics, in the range of visible light, from nuclear explosions. One of these is a characteristic "dual flash" measured by a bhangmeter. This went into routine use on the advanced Vela nuclear detection satellites, first launched in 1967. The earlier Velas only detected X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons.

Именно этим методом был засечен пресловутый "ядерный взрыв в Южной Атлантике":

Bhangmeters on Advanced Vela satellites detected the what is variously called the Vela Incident or South Atlantic Incident, on 22 September 1979. Different reports have claimed that it was, or was not, a nuclear test, and, if it was, probably involved South Africa and possibly Israel. France and Taiwan have also been suggested. Only one bhangmeter detected the characteristic double-flash, although US Navy hydrophones suggest a low-yield blast. Other sensors were negative or equivocal, and no definitive explanation has yet been made public.

Сюда же очевидно следует отнести и COBRA BRASS и предполагаемые попутные ПН СПРН на американских высокоэллиптических ИСЗ. Ну и конечно весь SBIRS.

[carlos]

Nuclear MASINT
Авторы вики-статьи относят сюда два поколения спутников "Вела" и датчики на "Милстарах". При этом датчики на Навстарах почему-то не упомянуты.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_MASINT

In 1959, the US started to experiment with space-based nuclear sensors, beginning with the VELA HOTEL satellites. These were originally intended to detect nuclear explosions in space, using X-ray, neutron and gamma-ray detectors. Advanced VELA satellites added electro-optical MASINT devices called bhangmeters, which could detect nuclear tests on earth by detecting a characteristic signature of nuclear bursts: a double light flash, with the flashes milliseconds apart. Using Radiofrequency MASINT sensors, satellites also could detect electromagnetic pulse (EMP) signatures from events on Earth.

Several more advanced satellites replaced the early VELAs, and the function exists today as the Integrated Operational Nuclear Detection System (IONDS), as an additional function on the MILSTAR satellites used for GPS navigation information.

[carlos]

Geophysical MASINT
Авторы относят к этой разновидности спутники GRACE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophysical_MASINT

Developing an operationally useful gravity gradiometer is a major technical challenge. One type, the SQUID Superconducting Quantum Interference Device gradiometer, may have adequate sensitivity, but it needs extreme cryogenic cooling, even if in space, a logistic nightmare. Another technique, far more operationally practical but lacking the necessary sensitivity, is the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) technique, currently using radar to measure the distance between pairs of satellites, whose orbits will change based on gravity. Substituting lasers for radar will make GRACE more sensitive, but probably not sensitive enough.
A more promising technique, although still in the laboratory, is quantum gradiometry, which is an extension of atomic clock techniques, much like those in GPS. Off-the-shelf atomic clocks measure changes in atomic waves over time rather than the spatial changes measured in a quantum gravity gradiometer. One advantage of using GRACE in satellites is that measurements can be made from a number of points over time, with a resulting improvement as seen in synthetic aperture radar and sonar. Still, finding deeply buried structures of human scale is a tougher problem than the initial goals of finding mineral deposits and ocean currents.

Ну и также сюда попал бы обсуждавшийся в отдельной ветке "спутник - обнаружитель погруженных ПЛ"

[carlos]

Radar MASINT
Тут и УС-А, и американские радарные спутники
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar_MASINT

The Soviet Union used a number of Radar-equipped Ocean Reconnaissance SATellites (RORSAT), which used strong radar systems, powered by an onboard nuclear reactor, to visualize vessels. These operated in the "pushbroom" manner, scanning a swath straight down.
US radar satellites, however, have emphasized SAR and ISAR.

Обращает на себя внимание тот факт, что ни один американский не-имаджевый космический радар поименно не назван.

[carlos]

Вот занятный нереализованный проект: Starscan (P86-2)
Экспериментальный спутник предназначался для обнаружения и идентификации радиоактивных материалов в околоземном космическом пространстве.  Работы начались после того, как выяснилось, что гамма-детекторы SMM оказались способны обнаружить фрагменты советского спутника типа УС-А.