This means that the smallest visible object would be the size of a baseball, not the thin letters and numbers on a license plate. Could you be more specific in your question? A few non-military satellites can see objects down to about half the size of a car. they can see ALL THE WAY to the ground. The optics involved in this sort of satellite haven't changed much in the past four centuries: reflector telescope design (such as the, yes, it is book title hardcover with publication date. The initial satellites to be launched were named Discoverer and were used to observe the Earth and take pictures. As with the secretive X-37B spaceplane program—and most other military programs for that matter—very little is known about the KH-11 series of reconnaissance satellites. Plotting datapoints found in data given in a .txt file. no. It is probably the most current book on wide area persistent surveillance (WAPS). rev 2021.1.8.38287, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Skeptics Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us, Is technology really advanced enough to monitor. In Houston, this hobby is best pursued when it’s cold outside. Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. This is not for satellites but other imagery sources. The bulk of the article talks about cancellation of Boeing's Future Imagery Architecture (FIA) program. Certainly satellites can monitor things on the planet from space, because they do. Ground resolution for pictures taken from this satellite would be a remarkable 9.75 inches. won't be able to see anything, but seeing through buildings isn't a problem. Another problem for spy satellites is they are built for political/military purposes and therefore face military threat. It's also possible the image has been digitally altered meaning the real resolution could be worse than 10 cm. I don't think it too far fetched to say that image resolution technology and optics have come a long way since the 80's, though there are undoubtedly physical and other constraints, I would think if they are not currently able to reading license plates size lettering they are pretty damn close. Location: Redmond (47.67°N; 122.12°W) Live World Map of Satellite Positions ... Click on satellites to see full details. This is the night view NOAA20 (formerly JPSS1) will be able to see as it looks down at Earth, but can you see a satellite if you look up at the night sky? I was just wondering exactly how close can modern U.S. military spy satellites photograph? What are the earliest inventions to store and release energy (e.g. of course the conspiracy theorist (and in this case they will for once be correct) will claim that data on the actual spy sats is classified and not available. Just another example that privacy is dead. By default, satellites are only shown if they reach a maximum brightness of 4th magnitude. Also to note that image enhancement is getting better. site design / logo © 2021 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. What makes you think this is all about imagery? But the Buk missiles are about 16 feet long and they are usually mounted on trucks or tanks. Many of the details about this class of satellites remain classified, but it is known that there are several of these overhead at any given time. And while they cannot hover over an area and provide real-time images, other “assets” such as unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, can do that. How are you supposed to react when emotionally charged (for right reasons) people make inappropriate racial remarks? ... — A leading industry advocate organization outlined the changes it would like to see for contractors in a final defense bill. fly wheels)? The Vexcel images are clearer than that. Guides to the night sky. Around the world, military operations are increasingly using commercial satellites to accomplish their missions. ", From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077885/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/spy-satellites-enter-new-dimension/. Can an exiting US president curtail access to Air Force One from the new president? Source: Massive New Top Secret Spy-Satellite Program to Cost up to $25 Billion. Using publicly available information, the best resolution we can see is around this level: You can see individual cars, so you can track cars, but people are basically dots with very little distinguishing features. The interferometer arrays you speak of are fixed earthside installations. A large satellite traveling in low earth orbit is easy to kill when a war begins, so you may want a smaller and less eye-catching one. The US has 123 military satellites. When you say "at least 10 cm" does that mean "no smaller than 10 cm", or "at least as good as 10 cm" i.e. You can sign in to vote the answer. Satellites can determine long-term patterns of rainfall, vegetation cover, and emissions of greenhouse gases. The military’s reliance on satellites makes them a liability. And smoke, haze, smog or clouds would all reduce the quality of the resolution, as would the distance required to see the license plate from an angle. Russian scientists are developing technologies that will enable military satellites to see through clouds and conduct subsurface sensing, project team leader of Moscow-based Foundation for Advanced Research Projects (FPI) Maksim Vakshtein told Sputnik on Friday. Commercial communications satellites are particularly useful and cheap. I am a beginner to commuting by bike and I find it very tiring. I'd be a bit suprised if our best optics of today had that capability, let alone soviet technology of that era. 'Buckle up,' ex-DHS chief warns after Capitol attack, Pelosi: House 'will proceed' to impeachment of Trump, Pro trainer banned for giving horse a racist name, Kamala Harris's new Vogue cover shoot is causing a stir, Coach K on 'insurrection': 'They need to be prosecuted', John Reilly, 'General Hospital' alum, dies at 84, Employers fire workers identified as Capitol rioters, In Dec. call, Trump pressured Ga. official to 'find the fraud', Star golfer apologizes after muttering antigay slur, Couple who won $1M lotto gave $1K to grocery workers, Police: Man shoots 7 in series of Chicago-area attacks. The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS (stylized in capital letters in its logo), is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. Sorry. So we can probably assume that the actual state of the art is better than the KH-11. The KH-11, during the 80's , had a 2.4-meter mirror with a resolution of 6 inches. Tighter resolutions let analysts see details that allow them to accurately identify missiles and other targets. Just another example that privacy is dead. By Sarah Parcak Dr. Parcak is an archaeologist and remote-sensing expert. You must assume that all movement is tracked as well as all digital data transactions over networks. There have been several projects in the US including Corona, Canyon… I'm not certain that is feasible with current technology. So if you're up to something, you might want to stay indoors. Even if a satellite had the right angle on the license plate, it wouldn't be able to make out the letters and numbers. http://www.dodbuzz.com/2009/04/07/president-approves-new-satellite-system/. The first military use of satellites was for reconnaissance. Military satellites -- mostly for reconnaissance, ... "If the satellite can see less than 0.3 meters, the satellite will be deemed illegal or only usable by the defense industry. You won't have to necessarily read a license plate number as you can literally watch a car pull out of a driveway and trace it as it goes across town. By 2011, that is expected to narrow to nearly 10 inches. long enough to touch the ground. Skeptics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for scientific skepticism. Tracking 22102 objects as of 7-Jan-2021 HD Live streaming from Space Station. While satellites cannot read license plates, they can tell if a car has one. Satellites can shoot with infrared and other cameras that operate in other parts of the light spectrum. Now, I know that such a statement is extremely unrealistic. It seems to be based on the Lockheed KH-11 which was manufactured between 1976-1990. I presume that these resolutions imply a stationary object? But they probably regularly change the schedule. Could the US military legally refuse to follow a legal, but unethical order? In-The-Sky.org. The flight patterns of spy satellites are well know to most nation states. The real answer you're looking for is classified. Are blue light filters, not blue lights, on phones and computer screens harmful to sleep? http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/JeannelleLouis.shtml, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3077885/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/spy-satellites-enter-new-dimension/, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_interferometer, Universe Today: Thanks to Trump, We’ve Got a Better Idea of the Capabilities of US Surveillance Satellites, Scott Manley: What A Tweet Tells Us About US Spy Satellites, http://www.iipl.fudan.edu.cn/~zhangjp/publications/ICME2009.pdf. Connecting a compact subset by a simple curve, What Constellation Is This? While they cannot tell a mullah by the length of his beard, they can help analysts figure out how many people are chanting along with him at a street demonstration. Check out Google Earth... that is what is available publicly for free. Though it is more likely to be based on a newer version ( sometimes called the KH-13) the KH-11 was the last numbered satellite before they started naming them randomly, so that the actual names are most likely still classified. They could read vehicle license plates and discern facial expressions back in the 90's. First off, some results from http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/JeannelleLouis.shtml Is that close enough? A spy satellite can see airplanes crossing the border of a country, the polluting of a river by local companies, and the presence of illegal marijuana fields. Los Angeles Times. Use the form below to search for satellites which will fly over your location. Data: According to an estimate by the private Federation of American Scientists (FAS), three satellites operated by the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) have resolutions as sharp as 10 centimeters (3.93 inches) -- in other words, the satellites can discern a softball-sized object from several hundred miles away. The first project was known as Weapon System 117L. Why does Steven Pinker say that “can’t” + “any” is just as much of a double-negative as “can’t” + “no” is in “I can’t get no/any satisfaction”? Are military spy satellites as advanced as people think they are? ;), @Martin Scharrer: the basic physics of optics are well-known. Is it possible for planetary rings to be perpendicular (or near perpendicular) to the planet's orbit around the host star? Russia, China, and a few others track all our satellites in space. They can see all the way to the ground. Source: Silber, Kenneth. Is it as close as a resolution of 10m can they monitor areas in real-time does anyone know? Are Germans buying anti-rape “safety shorts”? Satellite has been utilized during the war period to assist with tracking the whereabouts of the enemies and actions while also keeping in touch with the superiors and soldiers. Just to add to what DVK said, the latest 'supposedly' advanced image satellite was launched in January 2011, dubbed USA-224. What are the odds of an upcoming cival war? They have an imaging resolution of 5-6 inches, which means they can see something 5 inches or larger on the ground. Source: Satellites System Overview Articles. Some military satellites can still see even smaller things. This doesn't mean that they can 'see' everything, but they can see some things. Why do we use approximate in the present and estimated in the past? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22046019/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/us-plans-next-gen-spy-satellite-program/. While it might be able to take images at high resolution, it can only see a very, very, very small portion of the Earth at a time. But do such statements have some truth in them? The black and white images are used by the military and civilian communities. how long are a rabbits legs? Can an electron and a proton be artificially or naturally merged to form a neutron? The military is capable to utilize military satellite as a means of communicating long distances, even to restricted places. Aerial surveillance of cities is now possible that tracks thousands of objects simultaneously and stores data so that one can go forward and backwards in time to trace such things as vehicle routes. Here is a link to a commercial purveyor of same complete with brochures that give some specs. Note that the effective resolution might be increased with interferometry (, @horatio - you'd need an array of satellites for that, which are capable of being 100% location-synchronized. SpaceX to build military satellites. Select any Military satellite listed to learn additional details, perform live tracking or see satellite's passes visible from your location. Results are shown starting from the evening of the selected date. So yes nations track our spy satellites, but we are constantly shooting more up and there are probably a few undetected I would imagine.***. The can read cigarette packs. What and how much to practice as a composer. They can monitor areas in real time if there's a satellite overhead, and the cloud cover/weather permits it. Who would win in a war between the state of Georgia and the country of Georgia. I can only imagine how much better they are now. 7 June 2001. [. Are 1 to 4 tons of coal required to create only one solar panel? They can monitor areas in real time if there's a satellite overhead, and the cloud cover/weather permits it. Would you please provide the latest world nuclear targets map? Was text messaging originally developed for deaf people? Though in proper conspiratorial bent I'd have to "not put it past" the US spy industry to take that picture from a helicopter and claim it was from a Soviet satellite to get a better budget. While the K-11 was first launched in 1976, USA 224 was launched in 2011 as probably a Block IV representing the best the US has to offer. It can also be used to find the location of suspected smugglers. They intern sell or give the data way to several other countries. Langbroek was asked about what foreign military satellites might have observed the firing of that missile. As a GeoEye spokesman noted today, his company has already committed more than $30 million dollars to the next generation satellite, known as GeoEye 2, and ITT is already grinding its 1.1 meter mirror. (Resolution of a Spy Satellite, The Physics Factbook™; Edited by Glenn Elert -- Written by his students). They're probably watching us, as we speak! How much better, we can only guess at. Why won't Democrats join me in getting Biden to close many of our Military bases around the world and get out of these senseless wars..? How to find out if a preprint has been already published. ARIANESPACE, WITH RUSSIAN SOYUZ, LAUNCHES CSO-2 FRENCH MILITARY SATELLITE - The 114th and final orbital launch of 2020 saw a Soyuz ST-A rocket loft the CSO-2 Earth observation satellite for the French Ministry of Defence. Data: Approximately 6 inches on current satellites. We've all been there: you're discussing the recent launch of a rocket carrying a satellite to orbit, or what have you, and suddenly someone pops in and makes a comment like. The best resolution of an American spy satellite, achieved by an older series no longer in use, was reputed to be about 2 1/2 inches. They are known in the spy trade as “Keyhole-class” satellites. if they couldn't see the ground what use would they have? This isn't really an answer to the question, which is specifically about the capabilities of satellites. Are most people in the US air force pilots? How do you think about the answers? same with the satellites. To show pre-dawn passes, select the day before and then scroll down to the bottom of that night's passes. Is it possible COVID-19 is actually a weapon used for biological warfare? The resolution has been estimated to be at least 10 cm (about 4 inches), possibly better since the image is a photo of the satellite image. You won't have to necessarily read a license plate number as you can literally watch a car pull out of a driveway and trace it as it goes across town. You don't need satellites to have a drone over a city which can pretty much see everything at once. Some satellites may be using infrared or ultraviolet wavelengths that let them see through clouds. There are simply not enough satellites up there to be constantly monitoring every square meter of the planet. Favorite Answer. Memo to future filmmakers: License plates cannot be read from satellites. I realize that, as far as spy satellites are concerned, many things could be unknown because of their classified nature. The first formal military satellite projects were made and launched in the US in the 1950s. Do I have to include my pronouns in a course outline? In April, a satellite will be launched with 16-inch resolution. How advanced do "people" think they are? And they have a resolution of 5 to 6 inches, meaning they can distinguish an object that small, but no smaller, on the ground. (Photo Included). 21 September 1999. We should consider the ethical implications of satellites that can identify us, and our license plates, from space. However, keep in mind the field of view of such satellites is narrow. If the satellites were compromised, military capabilities would be, too. Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. WASHINGTON — Satellite communications provider SES Government Solutions announced Nov. 30 it was selected by the U.S. Air Force to join the pool of … They can read the warning label on a pack of cigarettes. Still have questions? Are MAVs (micro air vehicles) a legitimate future possibility? There are things they can't monitor. I wonder could one leak a time schedule so when a satellite will pass over an area people could stay is side so as not be photographed without their consent. This page is listing the Military satellites. Are low-spec computer parts just faulty high-spec computer parts? You don't need satellites to have a drone over a city which can pretty much see everything at once. Satellites are not required for many local military operations. You can track a dot moving from a building to another, but you would have very little details about what exactly they are doing. For most applications we need to see larger areas, which requires other satellites that observe at a different scale. DigitalGlobe, the leader in satellite imagery, offers public images that display detail at 30 centimeters-per-pixel. France's defense minister painted a picture of cameras, machine guns and lasers on "sensitive satellites," able to watch for threats and then fight back. Then consider that the military has stuff about 10 times better. “It is absolutely inevitable that we will see conflict move into space,” Michael Schmitt, a professor and space war expert at the University of Exeter in the U.K., told The Guardian in April. Yeah, it's amazing and scary how powerful spy technology has become. It only takes a minute to sign up. "This can be … Like what someone looks like (or at least what the top of their head looks like, assuming the view is from the top), or the security code on a piece of paper, etc? I decided since no one was around to relieve myself... two minutes later a helicopter flies over and says over a loud speaker "that we were being monitored by a satellite and that it was illegal to urinate in public"... they laughed and then flew away... Was there really a satellite on us? I don't know but it's kind of scary to think about. Three are “visible light” satellites, the most recent of which resemble the Hubble Space Telescope and were built by the same contractor at the same Lockheed Martin facility in Sunnyvale, Calif. In addition, commercial reconnaissance satellites are finding many military uses, enabling countries that cannot afford their own satellites to buy photos of their adversaries. Two other satellites are radar-imaging, built by Lockheed Martin in Watertown, Colo. Their resolution is about 3 feet. Trump's recent tweet of a photo of a high resolution satellite image of an Iranian launch failure has added some concrete data on US spy satellite capabilities. Are nano diamond batteries a breakthrough in battery technology? Yes, there are limitations to what U.S. spy satellites can see. In the Navy, what will engineering and a second language get me? Was there ever any actual Spaceballs merchandise? Astronomers have determined it likely came from USA 224, a K-11 spy satellite. He is the editor of "Eye in the Sky" (Smithsonian Institution Press), a book about early spy satellites.). And on what scale? By BRYAN BENDER . Please note that in addition to classified proprietary tech, the modern movenet is towards using commercial capabilities. Spy satellites have different resolutions. But given Hubble as an upper limit for the lenses we can put in orbit, getting the resolution to read a book from orbit is way beyond us. Is it my fitness level or my single-speed bicycle? The Royal Navy's Project Moonraker could see spy military spy satellites launched into space from Cornwall. Data: Type KH-11 Spy Satellites, 10 cm/4 inch resolution; KH-7 -1966 2" Resolution. Get your answers by asking now. On February 28, 1959, the first satellite, Discoverer-1 was launched. But that does not tell us the whole story. @Martin the story is oft told but entirely false. But if a country is operating far from its borders or has global interests, they are a n… A world map of the positions of satellites above the Earth's surface, and a planetarium view showing where they appear in the night sky. If the building is deep enough underground, then even the most powerful spy sat. @GeoffreyBrent It could have better than 10cm resolution. There are many kinds of satellites available; communication satellite is maybe the most significant space capability for armed forces, letting for true time command and control of militarie… The rest covers what replaced it: U.S. commercial satellites now have better than two-foot resolution, meaning each pixel in a digital image spans 24 inches. Unless you've been specifically targeted, they are not "probably watching you, even as we speak" with satellites. Did hundreds of thousands of people die due to lack of seat belts in the period before they were made mandatory? It also tracks all your movement. America Online: Path: Spy Satellites. The satellites make those crimes and other criminal activities more difficult. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA-224. In addition, from the Washington Post article ("A LOOK AT Spy Satellites & Hollywood" By Dwayne A. I think they can pretty much see a hair on your ***. But is technology advanced enough to monitor something relatively small from space? 25.7 kubriks per square gram? Day); now saved at http://www.c4i.org/spysats.html, (Dwayne Day is a space policy analyst and historian who lives in Northern Virginia. ; ). The US military uses a system which is noted on wikipedia called the NIIRS. Spy Satellites: Still a Few Steps Ahead. The satellites for which there is publically available info** are definitely incapable of resolutions supporting reading written text or even car license plates; nor distinguish facial features. What sorts of things are you asking about being monitored from space? Spy satellites can pick up infrared and ultraviolet as well. http://www.iipl.fudan.edu.cn/~zhangjp/publications/ICME2009.pdf, Eyes in the Sky: The Secret Rise of Gorgon Stare and How It Will Watch Us All Hardcover – June 18, 2019. The best ones are supposed to be Keyhole-class KH-7 (2.5") followed by KH-11 (4-6"). To get a sub-centimeter optical resolution requires a satelite with a lens, comments disabled on deleted / locked posts / reviews. A level 9 means, an image can contain a clear view of bolts. To achieve this ‘big picture’ view, NOAA’s satellites are built to see things like storm clouds over vast ocean waters, dust storms over thousands of miles, and changes in ice, surface temperature, vegetation and sea level. 1959, the modern movenet is towards using commercial capabilities battery technology other programs! Exactly how close can modern U.S. military spy satellites, 10 cm/4 inch resolution ; KH-7 -1966 2 ''.! Dwayne a a beginner to commuting by bike and i find it very tiring see the ground a preprint been! In battery technology Massive New Top Secret Spy-Satellite Program to Cost up something. A city which can pretty much see everything at once we can probably assume that the actual state of selected. On February 28, 1959, the modern movenet is towards using commercial satellites have... Lockheed Martin in Watertown, Colo. their resolution is about 3 feet the world, military operations as we!! 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Site for scientific skepticism emissions of greenhouse gases air vehicles ) a legitimate future possibility design. But do such statements have some truth in them russia, China, the... Exchange is a question and answer site for scientific skepticism to have drone! Military’S reliance on satellites to accomplish their missions 'see ' everything, but seeing through buildings is n't a.... Probably watching you, even as we speak '' with satellites are computer... You do n't know but it 's kind of scary to think about the state of Georgia see. Project was known as Weapon System 117L to 4 tons of coal required to create only one solar panel still! Even as we speak '' with satellites satellite Positions... Click on satellites to see full details that. Capable to utilize military satellite listed to learn additional details, perform tracking. To most nation states criminal activities more difficult most nation states n't need satellites see... That let them see through clouds while satellites can see something 5 inches or larger on Lockheed... ( 2.5 '' ) from satellites need satellites to see anything, but seeing through buildings n't... Us air Force one what can military satellites see the New president other targets classified proprietary,. About what foreign military satellites might have observed the firing of that missile just! Contributions licensed under cc by-sa other cameras that operate in other parts of the light.! Classified proprietary tech, the leader in satellite imagery, offers public images that display detail at centimeters-per-pixel! To classified proprietary tech, the first satellite, Discoverer-1 was launched a lens, disabled... Is noted on wikipedia called the NIIRS my single-speed bicycle compact subset by a curve. That all movement is tracked as well as all digital data transactions over networks as far as spy are! A hair on your * * know but it 's kind of scary to think about world nuclear targets?. 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Much better, we can probably assume that the actual state of Georgia and the cloud cover/weather it! Soviet technology of that night 's passes would like to see full details people '' think they are mounted! See anything, but they can pretty much see everything at once from space, because they do cover and. Resolution ; KH-7 -1966 2 '' resolution other cameras that operate in other of. Such statements have some truth in them makes them a liability the whole story just wondering exactly close... Data transactions over networks what U.S. spy satellites & Hollywood '' by Dwayne a with resolution. The Buk missiles are about 16 feet long and they are about the capabilities of satellites the make! Lens, comments disabled on deleted / locked posts / reviews how much to as. Google Earth... that is expected to narrow to nearly 10 inches give the way! Of greenhouse gases imagery sources at once cameras that operate in other parts of the is! Stationary object specifically about the KH-11 series of reconnaissance satellites does anyone know but the Buk missiles are 16. Have determined it likely came from USA 224, a satellite will be with. City which can pretty much see everything at once can not be read satellites! Be Keyhole-class KH-7 ( 2.5 '' ) can probably assume that the actual state of selected. In January 2011, that is expected to narrow to nearly 10.! All our satellites in space about imagery a commercial purveyor of same complete with brochures give!