18 JAN, 2005 - 1515 CST It appears our federal government is about to place across-the-board restrictions on who can receive satellite orbital data (Keplerian Elements). I really don't believe this will enhance homeland (or any other kind of) security because the U.S. is not the sole possessor of such data. I also doubt if Islamic terrorists would want to take down a satellite because it would probably bring quick retaliation against satellites they use, for example, Al Jahzeera - or at least a public denial of service. Should we argue against this pending action? 73 - Dick, W9GIG ========================================================================= Delivered-To: dick@pobox.com Received: from www3.qth.com (www.qth.com [216.229.20.12]) by gold.pobox.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id F24615E149 for <dick@pobox.com>; Mon, 17 Jan 2005 23:13:04 -0500 (EST) Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=www3.qth.com) by www3.qth.com with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1Cqki8-0004uh-PN; Mon, 17 Jan 2005 22:11:21 -0600 Received: from sccrmhc12.comcast.net ([204.127.202.56]) by www3.qth.com with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1Cqki5-0004u1-Rf for SMC@w9smc.com; Mon, 17 Jan 2005 22:11:18 -0600 Received: from [192.168.1.101] (pcp05893295pcs.cstltn01.in.comcast.net[68.58.8.6]) by comcast.net (sccrmhc12) with SMTP id <200501180410590120013uqle>; Tue, 18 Jan 2005 04:10:59 +0000 Received: from 127.0.0.1 (AVG SMTP 7.0.300 [265.6.13]); Mon, 17 Jan 2005 23:11:09 -0500 Message-ID: <002801c4fd13$bd8ee100$6501a8c0@davidsserver> From: "David Spoelstra" <davids@mediamachine.com> To: <SMC@w9smc.com> Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 23:11:09 -0500 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2527 Subject: [SMC] Satellite TLEs At the end of March, the only way to get satellite TLEs will be through a US Government site that you must register to get access to. In addition, it will be illegal to give the data you get off that site to anyone else. That means that most of the ways that you currently get the data will be turned off: emails from ARRL or AMSAT, packet cluster, program auto-updates, T.S. Kelso's emails and awesome Celestrak website, etc. It will also be illegal to download the data for a friend or post it on a packet cluster. At http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/notice.asp there is information about the change and a form to log your comments to the US Congress and Air Force Space Command about the change. -David, N9KT