ARCHER going into space

[RiverAux]

In an interesting twist, the ARCHER system (of which I'm not a big fan) is going into space as part of a military package.  See story: http://www.afmc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123145588

Sorry guys, no chance for CAP astronaut wings...

[♠SARKID♠]

Neato.  I remember during the ARCHER development reports hearing that it would eventually have military applications if it did well for CAP.

[Spike]

So in 10 years.....

CAP gets one point in favor!

Hooray!!!!!

Now maybe we can use this to get our blue rank slides back??

Anyway, that is a cool article.  Nothing about CAP being the "Official Air Force Auxiliary....."  Maybe a link to the CAP website or even the fact sheet on CAP that the AF has on their .mil site?

[AlphaSigOU]

So in 10 years.....

CAP gets one point in favor!

Hooray!!!!!

Now maybe we can use this to get our blue rank slides back??

Much as I'd like to see 'em back, it'll be a cold day in hell before Ma Blue gives 'em back to us. In the meantime I'll hafta be content wearing RealAirForce® shoulder marks on the TPU.

[JC004]

In an interesting twist, the ARCHER system (of which I'm not a big fan) is going into space as part of a military package.  See story: http://www.afmc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123145588

Sorry guys, no chance for CAP astronaut wings...

great place to get rid of it.  nobody will look there.   

[SJFedor]

In an interesting twist, the ARCHER system (of which I'm not a big fan) is going into space as part of a military package.  See story: http://www.afmc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123145588

Sorry guys, no chance for CAP astronaut wings...

great place to get rid of it.  nobody will look there.   

haha. colgan you crack me up.

all in all, that's kinda neat that a toy we helped field is moving to bigger and better things.

[Al Sayre]

One of the SUI questions is does the IC know how to get Archer tasking,  I guess now I have to add "Call NASA" to the methods...

[bosshawk]

I would go a bit slowly in jumping to click your heels about ARCHER going into space.  As I read the AFMC article, the onboard processor is what is being used on TACSAT.  That essentially means the software is being used, not any of the hardware: no lenses, no image path, no recorder, etc.

Since ARCHER has not proven to be of much value to the essential missions of CAP, I am glad to see some of it find some value. 

I have a few qualifications to make these observations: over 40 years in aerial imaging and I ran two tests of ARCHER in CA to try to determine whether or not ARCHER would detect marijuana.  I won't discuss the results, but might respond to a PM.

[davidsinn]

That essentially means the software is being used, not any of the hardware: no lenses, no image path, no recorder, etc.

That doesn't surprise me. None of that stuff is hardened for spaceflight. Also doesn't he system have a resolution of 3m at 3,000 AGL? That would image an entire county per pixel from LEO.

[Flying Pig]

I would go a bit slowly in jumping to click your heels about ARCHER going into space.  As I read the AFMC article, the onboard processor is what is being used on TACSAT.  That essentially means the software is being used, not any of the hardware: no lenses, no image path, no recorder, etc.

Since ARCHER has not proven to be of much value to the essential missions of CAP, I am glad to see some of it find some value. 

I have a few qualifications to make these observations: over 40 years in aerial imaging and I ran two tests of ARCHER in CA to try to determine whether or not ARCHER would detect marijuana.  I won't discuss the results, but might respond to a PM.

....or perhaps over some fish and cocktail sauce?

[a2capt]

great place to get rid of it.  nobody will look there.   

I love it.

This thing turned out to be a big clique magnet. It seems like once a few people got into it, they shut up about it to keep it all for themselves, and it may be highly speculative and accusatory of me to say this, but I'm somewhat convinced in that what I have heard from others who have been unable to break into the ranks, that mis-information was spread early on so that others would fail at attempting to take the "one time only, ever, you fail it, you can't ever do it again, test" to keep the program thin, for themselves.

I have myself, not attempted to, as the aircraft is not realistically close enough to worry about it. That if I have to fly for an hour and a half to get to it, there's plenty of others that will "get there first".

..and what has CAP gotten out of it?

Probably a little more than a NASCAR .. but .. not quite.

[bosshawk]

FP: see if I have lunch with you again.  The post about hardening for space is also correct.  The equipment, as it stands now, isn't hardened for hard landings.