Spy Satellites

Geospatial Intelligence Use Grows at U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Greg Schnippel — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:21:09 -0800

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

Greg Schnippel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:05:01 -0700

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

Greg Schnippel — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:58:40 -0700

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

Greg Schnippel — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:28:16 -0700

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.

Congress provided partial funding for the program in a little-debated $634 billion spending measure that will fund the government until early March. For the past year, the Bush administration had been fighting Democratic lawmakers over the spy program, known as the National Applications Office.

Pentagon to Launch Two More Spy Satellites

Greg Schnippel — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:05:35 -0700

The Pentagon has approved plans to buy and launch two commercial-class imagery satellites to complement its classified constellation of spy craft.

The Pentagon will also increase the amount of imagery purchased from private companies operating similar satellites already in the sky.

Administration Trying for Spy Satellites Again

Greg Schnippel — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:17:30 -0700

After the spectacular failure of the last spy satellite effort, the Bush administration is trying once again to put a new set of government eyes in space through a $1.7 billion project approved last week whose goal is to have two new satellites in orbit by 2012.

The key players involved this time — including officials from the Department of Defense and the national intelligence director’s office — said in interviews this week that they recognized that the government could not afford another stumble.

Sats Help Special Ops In Hunt For Terrorists

Greg Schnippel — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:24:59 -0700

Images from high-resolution military spacecraft, combined with powerful change detection software at ground processing facilities, is enabling the space-based identification and tracking of specific Taliban and al Qaeda individuals in the isolated villages and rugged terrain of Afghanistan.

This imagery is being passed to U.S. Army Special Forces and Navy Seal teams looking for individuals, even down to specific bomb-makers hiding out in mud huts in the region.

U.S. uses Spy Satellites to Spy on Iraqi Army

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:35:03 -0700

Caught off guard by recent Iraqi military operations, the United States is using spy satellites that ordinarily are trained on adversaries to monitor the movements of the American-backed Iraqi army, current and former U.S. officials say.

The stepped-up surveillance reflects breakdowns in trust and coordination between the two forces. Officials said it was part of an expanded intelligence effort launched after American commanders were surprised by the timing of the Iraqi army's violent push into Basra three months ago.

Japan to Allow Military Use of Space

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:35:01 -0700

Threat as 10-ton satellite set to crash back to Earth

Greg Schnippel — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:34:58 -0700