One thing this really drives is competition in the industry as well. I've been doing some work in the industry and there is a lot work that's needed just to handle the data properly. Basically, Space Force is stuck in bed with the big DoD contractors, since they are the only ones who have access, can handle, or have the money to even bid on projects, let alone execute on them. If this lowers the bar a bit more to let smaller and more innovative companies compete, I think that's a huge win.
Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies
71–79 of 79 posts
Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies
#72It's important to note the cost savings of declassification. Overclassification is incredibly expensive and burdensome (though it also covers the asses of a lot of incompetent bureaucrats). I used to work in the naval nuclear community. There are honestly only a handful of numbers related to the nuclear power plant on each class of ship that actually need to be classified, but every single scrap of paper associated w…
I think one of the big reasons for over-classification is that people often only learn things in a classified context. So if you only ever see F=MA in a classified document you'll kind of assume that it's a classified formula.
Also when classifying things you do have to portion mark but you don't need to justify any of the portion markings so you don't have to actually know if/why something is classified to mark it and that causes markings to perpetuate.
Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
> ..only a handful of numbers related to the nuclear power plant on each class of ship that actually need to be classified.. What do you actually mean by numbers in this context?
I imagine it's things like the maximum power output of the power plant, the volume it runs at, things like that. Similarly, the max depth of submarines and their audible signature are closely guarded secrets.
If they are talking about the power plant I’d assume it’s also characteristic things like response times and control/configuration data. That’s what ultimately identifies a reactor to pick the apart from others.
E.g. if you exactly know reactor XY was assigned to Z submarine, and you see it in the boneyard, you could assume Z was decommissioned. And if you are e.g. China you could estimate how many submarines are deployed in your vicinity.
Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies
#74Generally speaking, how can a reasonably informed coding entrepreneur get into the "space business" as a non specialist (i.e., not an astronaut, physicist or aerospace engineer)?
Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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. They could have just given them the updated designs. Those risked burning up on reentry too (and of course did in the case of Columbia).
Yeah, joke's on NASA, the whole program and all the designs were flawed.
Now we know it is a feature, not a bug !!
Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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. They could have just given them the updated designs. Those risked burning up on reentry too (and of course did in the case of Columbia).
You've probably heard of the ceramic tiles on the Space Shuttle and how they had to inspect each one. And the story about the Soviets using a pencil instead of the US "space pen". Somewhere I read about an early space capsule that had ablative shielding made of hardwood, oak or something several inches thick. "Carbon fiber composite", right? The way I remember it, it was said to work well because the wood was dense a…
If you squint really hard Wood is a carbon fiber composite.
Sort of.
Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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. They could have just given them the updated designs. Those risked burning up on reentry too (and of course did in the case of Columbia).
You've probably heard of the ceramic tiles on the Space Shuttle and how they had to inspect each one. And the story about the Soviets using a pencil instead of the US "space pen". Somewhere I read about an early space capsule that had ablative shielding made of hardwood, oak or something several inches thick. "Carbon fiber composite", right? The way I remember it, it was said to work well because the wood was dense a…
It's important to note that pencils are terrible in space and a pen that worked in space was necessary (having graphite dust floating around in all your electronics is generally considered poor form). The pen was developed by someone interested in solving this problem, and NASA bought some, for obvious reasons. So did the Soviets.
Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies
#78It's important to note the cost savings of declassification. Overclassification is incredibly expensive and burdensome (though it also covers the asses of a lot of incompetent bureaucrats). I used to work in the naval nuclear community. There are honestly only a handful of numbers related to the nuclear power plant on each class of ship that actually need to be classified, but every single scrap of paper associated w…
> ..only a handful of numbers related to the nuclear power plant on each class of ship that actually need to be classified.. What do you actually mean by numbers in this context?
[deleted]
Re: Pentagon moves to declassify some secret space programs and technologies
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
When has Starliner not kept its doors attached? Following the content of a thread is a pretty basic expectation. Derailing it onto other subjects is not helpful nor appreciated.
Maybe it was one of the scripts talking instead of Alex
Haha :) I was referring to Starliner's window falling off during transport. I misremembered it as a door falling off. And yeah my name is pretty terrible, I've always been bad at picking pseudonyms.