A bit of a mystery

Oberon · 11-09-10, 04:48 PM

The launch itself must have taken place within 35 miles of LA for them to have seen it, this much we must surely both be able to agree on.

Where Alaska comes in, I meant as its destination, not its launch site.

Agreed on the sensors though, plus there are satellites IIRC which can spot the IR heat pulse from the boost phase of an SLBM or ICBM which then set off numerous alarms down the chain, scrambling the SAC, flushing the boomers, throwing the VP or whoever is next on the chain of command onto Kneecap. There should have been a rush of activity and a spike to DEFCON 3 at the very, very, very lowest, none of this happened.

Now either the US alert system has fallen apart since the end of the Cold War or this was a planned launch, or...as it's looking more and more likely, it's an aircraft contrail.

11-09-10, 04:48 PM	#11
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	The launch itself must have taken place within 35 miles of LA for them to have seen it, this much we must surely both be able to agree on. Where Alaska comes in, I meant as its destination, not its launch site. Agreed on the sensors though, plus there are satellites IIRC which can spot the IR heat pulse from the boost phase of an SLBM or ICBM which then set off numerous alarms down the chain, scrambling the SAC, flushing the boomers, throwing the VP or whoever is next on the chain of command onto Kneecap. There should have been a rush of activity and a spike to DEFCON 3 at the very, very, very lowest, none of this happened. Now either the US alert system has fallen apart since the end of the Cold War or this was a planned launch, or...as it's looking more and more likely, it's an aircraft contrail.