Strike Force

TWO-STAGE-TO-ORBIT “BLACKSTAR” SYSTEM SHELVED AT GROOM LAKE?

—© Aviation Week and Space Technology, 5 March 2006…

U.S. intelligence agencies may have quietly mothballed a highly classified two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane system designed in the 1980s for reconnaissance, satellite-insertion and, possibly, weapons delivery…

…A large “mothership,” closely resembling the U.S. Air Force’s historic XB-70 supersonic bomber, carries the orbital component conformally under its fuselage, accelerating to supersonic speeds at high altitude before dropping the spaceplane. The orbiter’s engines fire and boost the vehicle into space. If mission requirements dictate, the spaceplane can either reach low Earth orbit or remain suborbital.

…Exactly what missions the Blackstar system may have been designed for and built to accomplish are as yet unconfirmed, but U.S. Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) officers and contractors have been toying with similar spaceplane concepts for years. Besides reconnaissance, they call for inserting small satellites into orbit, and either retrieving or servicing other spacecraft. Conceivably, such a vehicle could serve as an anti-satellite or space-to-ground weapons-delivery platform…

www.Iranian.ws (a U.S.-based Iranian Web site) polls, 13 March 2006

— 49 % of respondents believe the current Iranian regime will “go away because it is in its nature to be deposed by violent means.”

As to the question “If (or when) the time comes to choose between Iran or Islam,” 92 % chose “Iran.”

As to the question “Which is the right model of governance for Iran?” 45 % chose a republic, 34 % chose a monarchy, and only 8 % chose a theocracy.

As to the question “Do you support a separation of religion from state in Iran,” 81 % chose “Yes, of course,” and 16 % chose “No way.”

82 % of respondents rate Iran’s future under the current regime as “Not good.”

The poll Web site page http://www.iranian.ws/poll/ has a warning on it which reads: “According to some, you may turn to solid rock or may burn in hell for eternity by participating in our polls.”