Another home run.

Another prediction comes to pass. Right here in this blog, I mentioned that the US had some 'missing' Hubble-type NRO space telescopes and that at least one was on orbit but pointed down, not up. Here they are. These are MORE POWERFUL than Hubble and, IF NASA CAN AFFORD TO LAUNCH THEM, will increase our ability to do astronomy by an order of magnitude. Since there are two spares, there must be at least two in orbit. And that tends to piss me off because all we get to see are crappy commercial images but one of these could focus on a mustard seed in the Sahara desert.

But I was mistaken in one regard. I originally believed that Hubble was a clone of these. It isn't. It was a parallel program, although it shares technology and at least some parts. It is interesting to note that these can photograph a bloody fingerprint well enough to identify - FROM SPACE - and it is now considered obsolete. One wonders what's watching us now.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/nasa-gets-two-military-spy-telescopes-for-astronomy/2012/06/04/gJQAsT6UDV_print.html