Swedish experimental fighter launches satellite

2024-08-13

Swedish Air Force JAS-39 "Eagle Lion" fighter jet. At the recently concluded Farnborough International Air Show in the UK, the Swedish Air Force announced plans to launch small satellites using the JAS-39 "Eagle Lion" fighter jet. This plan is part of the Swedish Armed Forces' space strategy and a supplement to its concept of decentralized operations. Carlson, the head of the Swedish Air Force's space department, introduced that this research project is called "Stella" and is being promoted in collaboration between the Swedish Air Force and the Swedish Defense Research Agency. A spokesperson for Saab, the developer of the JAS-39 fighter jet in Sweden, pointed out that the "Stella" project is still in its early stages, and it is uncertain whether its research results can be implemented for specific applications. Carlson stated that the implementation of the air launched satellite project requires addressing three major technical issues: carrier, satellite, and launch vehicle. Preliminary research by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden shows that an air launched carrier rocket can send small satellites weighing about 2 kilograms into low Earth orbit, but the difficulty lies in achieving effective integration between the carrier rocket and the JAS-39 fighter jet. As for the specific type of airborne satellite, foreign media believe that it should be an optical imaging or radar imaging satellite. During the research process, Sweden is likely to seek technical support from the United States and multiple European countries. An air launched carrier rocket needs to be carried by a carrier to an altitude of over 10000 meters for launch, where the air is thin. Therefore, an air launched carrier rocket cannot use an air breathing engine, but needs to use liquid fuel or solid fuel engines. In addition, the volume and weight of the air launched carrier rocket must also meet the performance indicators that can be carried by the JAS-39 fighter jet. The report states that there is a precedent for using fighter jets in the space field. In the 1970s, the United States developed the ASM-135A anti satellite missile to counter Soviet military satellites. In September 1985, an F-15A fighter jet launched an ASM-135A anti satellite missile at an altitude of approximately 11000 meters, destroying the 1-ton "Solar Wind" P78-1 satellite located at an orbital altitude of 555 kilometers. This indirectly proves the feasibility of fighter jets launching satellites, as the launch flight principles of missiles and rockets are the same, and the weight difference between satellites and missile warheads is not significant. In addition, Italy is also studying the use of its "Typhoon" fighter jet to launch small satellites. According to a simulation video released by the Italian National Research Council, the Italian Air Force's Typhoon fighter jet launched a rocket with rocket wings and tail fins, which released a satellite after entering space. It is worth noting that the Swedish Air Force has long deployed its JAS-39 fighter jets in a dispersed manner on a road network surrounded by mountains, and used highways as takeoff and landing runways to evade enemy radar detection and reconnaissance. If the JAS-39 fighter jet has the ability to launch airborne satellites, the Swedish Air Force will be able to covertly launch military small satellites as space-based reconnaissance platforms during wartime, quickly establish satellite constellations, and promptly replace damaged or malfunctioning satellites. In addition, the Swedish Air Force JAS-39 fighter jet has conducted joint training with F-35 fighter jets from Denmark and other countries. In the future, the F-35 may provide escort for JAS-39, which carries out air launched satellite missions, while also not ruling out the possibility of extending JAS-39's air launched satellite capabilities to the F-35. Analysts believe that the "Stella" project still faces technical obstacles. Although the JAS-39 fighter jet has evolved from Type A to Type E, with an enlarged body, replacement of more powerful engines, and increased payload capacity, as a light fighter jet, its high-altitude flight and payload capacity are limited. Sweden must make trade-offs in the volume and weight of satellites and launch vehicles, which increases the difficulty of design and development. (New Society)

Edit:Xiong Dafei    Responsible editor:Li Xiang

Source:81.cn

Special statement: if the pictures and texts reproduced or quoted on this site infringe your legitimate rights and interests, please contact this site, and this site will correct and delete them in time. For copyright issues and website cooperation, please contact through outlook new era email:lwxsd@liaowanghn.com

Return to list

Recommended Reading Change it

Links

Submission mailbox:lwxsd@liaowanghn.com Tel:020-817896455

粤ICP备19140089号 Copyright © 2019 by www.lwxsd.com.all rights reserved

>