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qso1
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annodomini2:<br />The US kept the F117 and the B2 totally classified for at least 10years...<br /><br />Me:<br />The F-117 and B-2 were among the best kept secrets but even they were not a total secret because the stealth program leaked almost 10 years before the aircraft became public knowledge. The F-117 was rumored to be the F-19 and the B-2 was conceptualized in several ways but the final version of the B-2 was pretty well kept secret.<br /><br />The problem with keeping spacecraft secret is that first off, the launch of a significant mass such as an OSP would require a fairly large LV. This LV would be observed by amateur trackers for many miles. They would have a difficult time tracking in the event of an unnanounced launch but they've been able to track launches with a high degree of accuracy in the past.<br /><br />Once on orbit, an OSP would give itself away to trackers with telescopic equipment by its shape. Despite that, I did say "I'm always aware that the military/government keeps secrets. As I have no access to their secret stuff, trying to figure out what they have is speculation that can work both ways" and that means we can also be speculating on secrets that don't actually exist.<br /><br />Bottom line, I don't see a lot of need for the military to have a manned vehicle. Certainly not for doing what ICBMs already do much more efficiently. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>