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Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

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Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#41

Post by dylan604 »

tomcam wrote: post #39
Dalewyn wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The DoD (or at least the US Air Force) has been very aware Boeing can't deliver for a long time, between the KC-46 tanker and its inability to refuel, the F-15EX Eagle II and its failing to deliver on marketing promises, the V-22 Osprey and its many crashes including the most recent in November that led to a grounding across the services, and more. If this is a move to give Boeing's competitors (eg: Lockheed Martin,…

How can these failures happen so routinely? Whenever I think about the billions of dollars to go into these programs I always imagine that they go through multiple iterative prototypes so that they have something working at all times. It seems to me that would be a way to improve the chances of success at a likely higher cost to start with. But the department of defense does not ever seem to care about cost anyway.

There are plenty of examples of military leadership not wanting a program, but Congress shoves it down their throats. So it's not always as simple as it seems with an appearance of DoD not caring. It is a consequence of design by committee.

Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#42

Post by readyplayernull »

But are they declassifying the actual documents this time?

> The CIA started feeding flawed shuttle designs — NASA rejects — to the Soviet spies, which they passed off as new “improvements.” It worked. Included in the phonies were outdated heat shield designs that could have risked the spacecraft burning up on reentry.

https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/real-life-rogu...

Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#43

Post by signatoremo »

Dalewyn wrote: post #14
dylan604 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It'll only help Boeing if they can pull their head out of their backside. To me, this is DoD realizing the Boeing can't do what they claim they can and need a new vendor. It's just that new vendor needs to have the rules modified a bit so they can qualify.

The DoD (or at least the US Air Force) has been very aware Boeing can't deliver for a long time, between the KC-46 tanker and its inability to refuel, the F-15EX Eagle II and its failing to deliver on marketing promises, the V-22 Osprey and its many crashes including the most recent in November that led to a grounding across the services, and more. If this is a move to give Boeing's competitors (eg: Lockheed Martin,…

> KC-46 tanker and its inability to refuel

Where do you get this? KC46 problem is not because it can’t refuel.

> F-15EX Eagle II and its failing to deliver on marketing promises

Which promises? It’s supposed to be a missile truck, working in conjunction with F35, and it works well in that role.

> V-22 Osprey and its many crashes including the most recent in November that led to a grounding across the services

It’s called Bell Boeing V22 for a reason. Bell is the lead vendor and Boeing is the secondary. It was a Bell’s design. Bell Valor 280 which is a new tilt rotor design won FLRAA contract last year.

Boeing make Chinook helicopter, well known for its reliability.

Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#44

Post by tomcam »

dylan604 wrote: post #41
tomcam wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How can these failures happen so routinely? Whenever I think about the billions of dollars to go into these programs I always imagine that they go through multiple iterative prototypes so that they have something working at all times. It seems to me that would be a way to improve the chances of success at a likely higher cost to start with. But the department of defense does not ever seem to care about cost anyway.

There are plenty of examples of military leadership not wanting a program, but Congress shoves it down their throats. So it's not always as simple as it seems with an appearance of DoD not caring. It is a consequence of design by committee.

Crap, I did forget about that. Thanks

Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#45

Post by [deleted] »

tw04 wrote: post #6

This is essentially about letting Space-X in on more military missions that today they can only pass through Boeing and co. Presumably Space-X wasn't willing to take an entire chunk of staff and dedicate them to military-only missions and/or had staff that couldn't even pass the stringent security clearance requirements. The US government still wants to utilize them for missions, especially with starship and its payl…

[deleted]

Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#46

Post by [deleted] »

igleria wrote: post #15

> The policy does not mean that these programs and technologies will now be fully unclassified and revealed to the public; instead, it will lower their classification levels in order to share some technologies and programs with private industry and international allies to help the U.S. build an "asymmetric advantage and force multiplier that neither China nor Russia could ever hope to match," Plumb said in a DoD stat…

[deleted]

Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#47

Post by facialwipe »

sandworm101 wrote: post #4
dgrin91 wrote: post #2

I wonder if this will lead to any more info about the X-37

Not likely. This seems to be about moving things from very very top secret to only very top secret, low enough to share with more civilian contractors but still far away from public knowledge... until someone with a high-mobility cubesat starts puttering around taking pictures up there.

Riiight because a “high-mobility cubesat” (whatever that is) could ever intercept an orbiting X-37.

Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#48

Post by wolverine876 »

readyplayernull wrote: post #42

But are they declassifying the actual documents this time? > The CIA started feeding flawed shuttle designs — NASA rejects — to the Soviet spies, which they passed off as new “improvements.” It worked. Included in the phonies were outdated heat shield designs that could have risked the spacecraft burning up on reentry. https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/real-life-rogu...

Declassification for contractors and the CIA passing disinformation to enemy intelligence are very different things.

Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#49

Post by wolverine876 »

tw04 wrote: post #6

This is essentially about letting Space-X in on more military missions that today they can only pass through Boeing and co. Presumably Space-X wasn't willing to take an entire chunk of staff and dedicate them to military-only missions and/or had staff that couldn't even pass the stringent security clearance requirements. The US government still wants to utilize them for missions, especially with starship and its payl…

Is there some evidence of that?

Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies

#50

Post by golergka »

wolverine876 wrote: post #48
readyplayernull wrote: post #42

But are they declassifying the actual documents this time? > The CIA started feeding flawed shuttle designs — NASA rejects — to the Soviet spies, which they passed off as new “improvements.” It worked. Included in the phonies were outdated heat shield designs that could have risked the spacecraft burning up on reentry. https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/real-life-rogu...

Declassification for contractors and the CIA passing disinformation to enemy intelligence are very different things.

Is it? Wouldn't enemy intelligence see these contractors be the prime targets for infiltration?
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