Future Task For ‘Dead’ Satellites

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30763, 29 May 1965, Page 15

Future Task For ‘Dead’ Satellites

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, May 28. Spent rockets orbiting the earth from American and Sox iet space experiments are being used by British scientists as reflectors for radio communications.

Scientists at the Ministry of Aviation’s signals and development establishment at Christchurch, Hampshire, expect to start using the space “junk” soon for operating teleprinter signals. With this breakthrough the “rubbish” left over from rocket and satellite launchings will thus be able to serve a useful purpose. The scientists said today there were about 100 objects in space at present suitable for bouncing a pulse back to earth. If the rate of rocket launchings were maintained there would be 10.000 objects available by 1975. The size of the objects per-

, mitted only fairly low-rate j digital traffic using normal i techniques, but new technij ques were being developed so that the traffic could be in- | creased considerably. ' The possibility of a world- ( wide strategic communication [network using the reflective ■ power of these “dead” satellites and rocket fragments in i orbit is being investigated. Properly computed and with (theoretical bases 1000 miles

apart, these could provide cover for about 90 per cent of the time.

The idea poses several problems. The satellite fragments (nicknamed junk) tumble as they orbit. Depending upon their shape, they offer varying and often flashing reflectivity. This means that any one object can be used only for very short periods of time, which renders it unsuitable for normal forms of continuous transmission and reception.

The possibility of transmitting either speech or pictures is thus precluded, but transmission would be adequate for defence purposes and has the advaritage of being difficult to intercept.