The author argues that the U.S. should clarify its position on 'shutter controls' --the possible censorship of commercial satellite imagery during a conflict-- to reduce uncertainty in the nascent imagery industry.
John Baker analyzes the market potential for commercial high resolution satellite imagery and concludes that "United States commercial imaging satellite firms are showing some real promise in becoming an integral part of the larger remote sensing industry, although progress has been slower than originally expected."
David Albright demonstrates the utility of commercial high-resolution satellite imagery for detecting clandestine nuclear proliferation by focusing on the test case of Algeria.
American commercial and civilian observation satellites, such as IKONOS, Landsat 7 and Terra, have attracted substantial public attention in recent years. However, these satellites represent only a few of many nonmilitary imaging satellites currently operating or planned to be launched over the next few years. It?s largely overlooked that foreign governments and a few foreign firms are expected to account for the lion?s share of expected growth in civilian and commercial observation satellites.
John Baker examines the risks of terrorist use of commercial satellite imagery and concludes that "the potential perils posed by commercial satellite imagery are less than might be expected."
As commercial observation satellites produce high-resolution images available to almost every government, international agency, media organization, business and nongovernmental organization (NGO) in the world, they are an important new catalyst for bolstering global transparency.
Steven H. Kenney argues that the availability of cheap satellite imagery will usher in an "Age of Transparency." He urges corporations and governments to be proactive and forge alliances with citizen watchgroups that would otherwise target them as enemies.
The availability of high-resolution satellite imagery could help human rights groups by allowing them to survey scenes of heinous crimes without endangering the lives of researchers. With the help of satellite imagery, analysts could substantiate or refute news reports of systematic destruction of villages. While it would be dangerous for a non-governmental organization (NGO) to fly a spy plane over warring territories to look for mass graves, very high-resolution commercial satellite imagery could, without risk, provide data to much the same effect.
High-resolution commercial satellite imagery increases the visibility of areas of the world that were until recently seen by only a few intelligence agencies. Activities in totalitarian states such as North Korea are now visible to anyone. An episode involving North Korean secret nuclear weapon activities in the early 1990s demonstrates the power that such imagery can provide to the public and international organizations.
Since the historic launch of the first Landsat satellite in 1972, U.S. government policymakers have struggled to find the right balance between protecting core national security interests and encouraging a competitive commercial imagery industry sector. After nearly three decades, and on the eve of an exciting new era in the satellite imagery industry, the public and private sectors still are seeking a balanced policy that meets the remote sensing industry's need to market products and services globally with minimal regulatory burdens and ensures that national security concerns aren't compromised.