A
spy satellite (officially referred to as a
reconnaissance satellite) is an
Earth observation satelliteEarth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar toreconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc. Geostationary satellites hover over the same spot, providing...
or
communications satelliteA communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
deployed for
militaryA military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military...
or
intelligenceEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, as the legitimate holder of the information may change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
applications.
These are essentially
space telescopesA space observatory is any instrument in outer space which is used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects...
that are pointed toward the Earth instead of toward the stars. The first generation type (i.e.
CoronaCorona was a US military reconnaissance satellite system operated by the CIA Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the US Air Force, used for photographic surveillance of the Soviet Union, China and other areas from June 1959 until May 1972...
and
ZenitZenit is the name of a series of military spy satellites launched by the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1994. To conceal their nature, all flights were given the public Kosmos designation...
) took photographs, then ejected canisters of
photographic filmPhotographic film is a sheet of plastic coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive silver halide salts with variable crystal sizes that determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film...
, which would descend to earth.
Corona capsules were
retrieved in mid-airMid-air retrieval is a technique used in atmospheric reentry when the reentering vehicle is incapable of a satisfactory unassisted landing. The vehicle is slowed by means of parachutes, and then a specially-equipped aircraft matches the vehicle's trajectory and catches it in mid-air.This is a risky...
as they floated down on
parachuteA parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag. Parachutes are made out of cloth, most commonly nylon....
s. Later spacecraft had digital imaging systems and downloaded the images via encrypted radio links.
In the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, most information available is on programs that existed up to 1972. Some information about programs prior to that time are still
classifiedClassified information is sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular classes of persons. A formal security clearance is required to handle classified documents or access classified data. The clearance process requires a satisfactory background investigation...
, and a small trickle of information is available on subsequent missions.
A few up-to-date reconnaissance satellite images have been declassified on occasion, or leaked, as in the case of
KH-11The KH-11, also referenced by the codenames 1010, Crystal and Kennan, also commonly known as "Key Hole", was a type of reconnaissance satellite launched by the American National Reconnaissance Office between December 1976 and 1990 and used until present...
photographs which were sent to
Jane's Defence WeeklyJane's Defence Weekly is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F.T. Jane, an Englishman who first published Jane's All the World's Fighting Ships in 1898...
in 1985.
Origins
On March 16, 1955, the
United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
officially ordered the development of an advanced reconnaissance satellite to provide continuous surveillance of 'preselected areas of the earth' in order 'to determine the status of a potential enemy’s war-making capability'.
In October 1957, the Russians launched
SputnikSputnik 1 was the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957, and was the first in a series of satellites collectively known as the Sputnik program...
. It was the first man made object to be put into Earth orbit.
Missions
Examples of reconnaissance satellite missions:
- High resolution photography (IMINT
IMINT, short for IMagery INTelligence, is an intelligence gathering discipline which collects information via satellite and aerial photography. As a means of collecting intelligence, IMINT is a subset of intelligence collection management, which, in turn, is a subset of intelligence cycle management...
)
- Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT)
- Communications eavesdropping (SIGINT
Signals intelligence is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether between people or between machines , or mixtures of the two. As sensitive information is often encrypted, signals intelligence often involves the use of cryptanalysis...
)
- Covert communications
- Monitoring of nuclear test ban
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996 but it has not yet entered into force.-Status:...
compliance (see National Technical Means)
- Detection of missile launches
In fiction
Spy satellites are commonly seen in
spy fictionThe genre of spy fiction—sometimes called spy thriller or sometimes shortened simply to spy-fi—arose before World War I at about the same time that the first modern intelligence agencies were formed. The genre is closely related to political thrillers and military fiction.The Dreyfus Affair...
and military fiction. Some works of fiction that focus specifically on spy satellites include:
- The OMAC Project
The OMAC Project is a six issue American comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka with art by Jesus Saiz and published by DC Comics in 2005.-Overview:...
- Enemy of the State (film)
- Ice Station Zebra
Ice Station Zebra is a 1963 thriller novel written by Scottish author Alistair MacLean. This was the last of MacLean's classic sequence of first person narratives which began with Night Without End, and represented a return to that earlier novel's Arctic setting...
See also
- National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
- Defense Support Program
The Defense Support Program is a program of the U.S. Air Force that operates the reconnaissance satellites which form the principal component of the Satellite Early Warning System currently used by the United States....
- European Union Satellite Centre
The European Union Satellite Centre is an Agency of the Council of the European Union which gathers information through satellite images to help the EU prevent conflicts and provide humanitarian aid....
- Atmospheric reentry
Atmospheric reentry refers to the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a planet from outer space, in the case of Earth from an altitude above the "edge of space." This article primarily addresses the process of controlled reentry of vehicles which are intended...
- List of intelligence gathering disciplines
External links