Spy Satellites


C.I.A. Is Sharing Data With Climate Scientists -- William J. Broad  -- New York Times  -- January 4, 2010
Surveillance Technology

The nation’s top scientists and spies are collaborating on an effort to use the federal government’s intelligence assets — including spy satellites and other classified sensors — to assess the hidden complexities of environmental change. They seek insights from natural phenomena like clouds and glaciers, deserts and tropical forests.


White House to Abandon Homeland Security Spy-Satellite Program -- Siobhan Gorman  -- Wall Street Journal  -- June 23, 2009
Surveillance Technology

The Obama administration plans to kill a controversial Bush administration spy satellite program that would have provided federal, state and local officials with extensive access to spy-satellite imagery — but no eavesdropping capabilities— to assist with emergency response and other domestic-security needs, such as identifying where ports or border areas are vulnerable to terrorism.


U.S. May Monitor Pirates From Space -- John M. Doyle  -- Aviation Week and Space Technology  -- April 20, 2009
Satellites

The U.S. is exploring the use of commercial satellites to enhance ship identification and communication for the battle against piracy.


Satellite Proposals Gain Traction After North Korea's Launch -- Andy Pasztor and Siobhan Gorman  -- Wall Street Journal  -- April 5, 2009
Surveillance Technology

U.S. intelligence agencies are capitalizing on North Korea's weekend rocket launch to advance proposals to deploy two new spy satellite systems estimated to cost a total of about $10 billion, according to government and industry officials.


US NRO Director Calls for Long-Term Space Plan -- Andrea Shalal-Esa  -- Reuters  -- April 2, 2009
Surveillance Technology

The United States must develop a longer-term strategic plan for the satellites it operates to safeguard national security and the U.S. space industrial base, according to the head of the U.S. spy-satellite agency.


Wandering U.S. Spy Satellite Prompts Continuing Concerns -- Leonard David  -- Space.com  -- February 25, 2009
Space Traffic Control

While the unprecedented smashup between a U.S. and Russian satellite earlier this month sparked a lot of attention, another wayward spacecraft — out-of-whack U.S. secret satellite DSP-23 — remains a serious concern.


Geospatial Intelligence Use Grows at U.S. Department of Homeland Security -- Alice Lipowicz   -- Federal Computer Week  -- October 30, 2008
Spy Satellites

The Homeland Security Department is relying more often and more broadly on geospatial information technology, including spy satellites, to collect and analyze intelligence for its counterterrorism and emergency response missions, raising domestic privacy concerns.


GeoEye's New Satellite Offers Unprecedentedly Sharp Images -- Matthew Williams  -- Defense News  -- October 20, 2008
Satellites

The sharpest commercial imaging satellite ever launched is now orbiting the Earth, sweeping over the North Pole and under the South Pole every 98 minutes, collecting high-resolution images of the scene below. From 423 miles up, the GeoEye-1 satellite can spot objects as small as 16 inches across.


Report Warns U.S. Could Lose Space-Spy Dominance -- Noah Shachtman  -- Wired News  -- October 7, 2008
Spy Satellites

America has become so lousy at building spy satellites that "the United
States is losing its preeminence in space," a Congressional
intelligence report declares. What's worse, this decline comes as
"emerging space powers such as Russia, India and China" are getting
better and better at snooping from above.


Satellite-Surveillance Program to Begin Despite Privacy Concerns -- Siobhan Gorman  -- Wall Street Journal  -- October 1, 2008
Spy Satellites

The Department of Homeland Security will proceed with the first phase of a controversial satellite-surveillance program, even though an independent review found the department hasn't yet ensured the program will comply with privacy laws.

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