RE: Unidentified subject! (Russian report of KeyHole manoeuvres)

Ted Molczan (molczan@home.com)
Tue, 22 Dec 1998 07:13:11 -0500

I find it difficult to believe that the Keyhole's orbits were adjusted in
direct support of Operation Desert Fox. The main two-satellite constellation
provides good repeat coverage capability over periods of several days,
without the need to change the orbit. Also, the spacecraft have good
slant-range imaging resolution.

Of course I cannot absolutely rule out special manoeuvres. I wonder whether
or not the news media were provided any credible evidence to support the
claims, such as pre and post-manoeuvre orbital elements and/or groundtrack
maps, demonstrating the resulting improvement in coverage.

Ted Molczan