[r9etb]

You think he is lying to you about whether spy satellites could look at the shuttle? The same lens that could read a license plate on the earth's surface would not necessarily be able to turn and focus on something that is much closer. They are designed for specific tasks.

It's possible to look at other satellites from orbit, but the task is daunting.

First, the distances are measured in thousands of miles (as opposed to hundreds of miles for ground objects).

Second, the relative speeds are incredible -- 35,000 mph or so -- which leads to a requirement for very high rate rotations, coupled with very precise pointing during the rotation. Even spy satellites generally aren't designed to do both of these things at the same time.

The likelihood of getting a recognizable picture is slim, and the likelihood of getting a damage assessment is vanishingly small.

A better argument might be made for attempting a ground-based observation, but that, too, probably wouldn't have given a good enough picture, unless the damage was extensive.

[fooman]

Thanks for your feedback on Ron. What do you think would make a good shuttle replacement? X33 or is there something better?

I had just read that the X-33 was 85% complete when the budget was pulled. I don't know why we pulled this when we could have at least tested one of these to learn more about shuttle flight.