From: mikkelhaaheim@gmail.com   
      
   Something that always seems to be missed in these discussions. Precedent.   
   We ALREADY LIVE in the world where "stealth is impossible". Forget about   
   tracking rockets in space. We are talking about existing tech, why don't we   
   just track targets on land and in the air? There is no such thing as an   
   undetectable aircraft.We have the    
   tech to track every aircraft in existence. So why do we have aircraft that we   
   can't find for months after going missing? These aren't even the "stealth"   
   aircraft. We have the tech to put up satellites that cover every inch of the   
   Earth's surface. We have    
   cameras everywhere.    
   Every agrument we consider for why "there ain't no stealth in space" already   
   applies for anything on land or in the air. And yet...   
      
      
   The F-117 is not invisible to radar, nor is it invisible to sight. It just   
   produces ery small radar returns, and is very hard to see (when flying at   
   night). Even though the engine exhaust is treated to reduce the exhaust   
   temperature, that exhaust is    
   still hotter than normal air, and so still detectable by IR. That, and NOTHING   
   hides the sound of a jet.   
   The reality is that the people arguing that "there ain't no stealth in space"   
   have no real understanding of what stealth actually is or how it is used. It   
   is not about not being detected. It is about not being NOTICED. Even then, it   
   is not an absolute.    
   The purpose of stealth is to offer time. Delaying detection limits the options   
   of response TO detection. Sometimes, it means having the situation   
   misanalysed, leading to an inappropriate response.   
      
   The other thing is, the arguments assume that tech is the only consideration.   
   You also have to consider available resources, the demand for those resources,   
   and how those resources are being used. You have to consider social and   
   political climate: there    
   is nothing preventing governments from putting cameras everywhere, and   
   collecting data from cameras everywhere; so where are all those cameras that   
   could prevent crime from going unpunished? Answer, not everyone wants those   
   cameras, and there is enough    
   opposition to stop governments from deploying them. Also consider context: if   
   you are not already expecting war or conflict, why put up sensor platforms to   
   track vessels?   
      
   If you REALLY want to know why the "there ain't no stealth in space" arument   
   fails, consider why it doesn't work NOW, on Earth. Every argument already   
   applies.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)