Military satellite
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A military satellite is an artificial satellite used for a military purpose, often for gathering intelligence, as a communications satellite for military purposes, or as a military weapon.
[edit] Description
A satellite by itself is neither military nor civil. It is the kind of payload it carries that enables one to arrive at a decision regarding its military or civilian character.Ref N-1 Nevertheless, even the above distinction is now blurred. For example, a civilian satellite can carry military transponders and vice versa. Civil commercial satellites are also known to carry out military tasks like enabling military communications, imagery etc. At the same time, military satellites like the NAVSTAR GPS have more civilian users rather than military users. In spite of the above possibilities, nations have been launching satellites which have purely military uses and the same are known as military satellites.
[edit] Resources
Squadron Leader KK Nair, "Space: The Frontiers of Modern Defence", Knowledge World Publishers, New Delhi. Chapter-7, pgs 212-214.
[edit] External links
- N-1 For details, see Space: The Frontiers of Modern Defence