Properties of orbiting dipole belts

Thin microwave dipoles orbiting in belts about the earth have been proposed for reliable long-range radio communication. This paper examines the possible effects of such microwave dipole belts on radio communi- cations, radar, and measurements by optical and radio astronomers. In addition, a comparison is made of the probabilities of micrometeorite and dipole collisions with space craft. Calculations have been carried out for a proposed experimental belt consisting of 35 kg of 8000 Mc dipoles orbiting at a few thousand kilometers altitude. It is shown that no interference would be caused to radio or radar services, that such a belt produces only a few percent change in the optical brightness of the night sky in the direction of the belt, and that the influence of the belt on radio astronomy observations is not measurable except when viewing the belt where it is illuminated by very high power radio equipment operating at frequencies near the dipole resonance. Investigation also shows that micrometeorite collisions with a space craft located in a dipole belt are an order of magnitude more likely than those caused by the dipoles. Furthermore, the small mass of the dipoles limits the collision effects to little more than surface scratches.