Satellites to Scan for Pirate Radio

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marcotor

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Actually, the launch has been delayed a couple of times due to weather.

Now scheduled for today. 10:32-11:00ish PST
 

milcom_chaser

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Wonder how much data collection (audio recording, raw signal activity) the sat can store on board, and spectrum coverage of the SDR? Guess there isn't much worry of SDR desense at that altitude, or is there :eek:
 
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kruser

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How do we listen to these?

Who knows if these birds will have any type of signal coming back down that we can use. It would be cool to see what they can hear though but I suspect it will be some form of proprietary data and maybe encrypted on top of that.
 
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DaveNF2G

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Once they find these transmitters, then what? Pirates in Brazil use U.S. military satellites all the time. Their locations are known. Yet, as far as I know, there have been no station raids or HARM missiles deployed to take them off the air. So what is the point of finding pirates with a satellite array?
 

milcom_chaser

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Once they find these transmitters, then what? Pirates in Brazil use U.S. military satellites all the time. Their locations are known. Yet, as far as I know, there have been no station raids or HARM missiles deployed to take them off the air. So what is the point of finding pirates with a satellite array?

"So what is the point of finding pirates with a satellite array?"

Lower cost - Sat covers more surface area vs terrestrial: less investment of time and money trying to track smugglers.
 
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DaveNF2G

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My point was to ask what is accomplished by finding them. Pirates with already known locations go unmolested. How does tracking down more of them help?
 

KK4JUG

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I seriously doubt that the satellites are going to be used to find pirate radio stations. I suspect they would more likely concentrate on more nefarious signals dealing with terrorism and international intelligence, for instance.
 

milcom_chaser

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My point was to ask what is accomplished by finding them. Pirates with already known locations go unmolested. How does tracking down more of them help?

"Pirates with already known locations go unmolested."

Unmolested? Um, not sure the vocabulary choice is helping here in the question...
Did you mean a search and seizure raid? Which entails confiscation of contraband.
That would be the point in finding them, and in the larger picture, reduces the percentage of yearly smuggling attempts.

Kinda putting this to rest now, good day...
 

milcom_chaser

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I seriously doubt that the satellites are going to be used to find pirate radio stations. I suspect they would more likely concentrate on more nefarious signals dealing with terrorism and international intelligence, for instance.

Pirate meaning smugglers. The article explains it...
 

ipfd320

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Milcom this is the 1st line of the article that op Posted

If all goes as planned with the scheduled SpaceX launch Sunday, a startup called HawkEye 360 will have a trio of satellites resembling toaster ovens circling the globe, scanning for pirate radio.

Note it says Pirate Radio--Not Pirate Smugglers
 

milcom_chaser

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Milcom this is the 1st line of the article that op Posted

If all goes as planned with the scheduled SpaceX launch Sunday, a startup called HawkEye 360 will have a trio of satellites resembling toaster ovens circling the globe, scanning for pirate radio.

Note it says Pirate Radio--Not Pirate Smugglers

Yes, it does say that. Sounds like the branding of FM Rock Stations in LA.

And then the article goes further: "The first order of business, however, will be catching pirates. Smugglers and other wrongdoers of the high seas regularly turn off their GPS transponders to avoid tracking. Instead, they use satellite phones and CB radios to coordinate with other ships or confederates on land, all of which will whisper to the Hawkeye toasters soaring overhead."

Perhaps the author didn't think about the "pirate radio" distinction...
 

ipfd320

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Ha ha Yah i hea ya --seems like the reporter got off tilter--funny thing is there is a partial list of what went up in the cargo and this scrubbed launch on the 7-8th had this

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office

hmmmmmmm--- https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
 

KK4JUG

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Ya think they may also be concerned about the illicit pharmaceutical industry in Latin America like milcom-chaser indicated?
 

dlwtrunked

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Milcom this is the 1st line of the article that op Posted

If all goes as planned with the scheduled SpaceX launch Sunday, a startup called HawkEye 360 will have a trio of satellites resembling toaster ovens circling the globe, scanning for pirate radio.

Note it says Pirate Radio--Not Pirate Smugglers

That is what the report said but it certainly mean radios use by pirates. They used the simplest term they could come up with. "Pirate radio" alone is not worth anywhere near the cost of a satellite. There has been a recent interest (news last week) in the number of ships not reporting their positions having turned off their equipment to do that.
 

Fast1eddie

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Just my opinion here, but I do not see the economic justification and potential return of sending up micro sats to go after Pirates. No, this is a mere cover for NSA collection, maybe a upgrade of Echelon????

Excuse me, the G-men are knocking at my door...
 
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