U.S. Military To Share Fireball Data From Secret Satellites

[Gerald]

For decades, the U.S. Department of Defense has operated classified spacecraft loaded with high-tech gear to carry out a range of reconnaissance duties. But the satellites have also spotted the high-altitude explosions of natural fireballs that routinely dive into the Earth's atmosphere, and talks are under way to offer scientists access to that data.In the past, the data on the fireballs, caused by small asteroids called bolides, was shared with the near-Earth object (NEO) science community, information deemed ideal for understanding the size of small NEOs and the hazard they pose.From space scientists, they stress that such data sharing is also important for validating airburst simulations, characterizing the physical properties of small NEOs -- such as their strength -- and assisting in the recovery of meteorites.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/...et-satellites/





Note: December 13, 2010