"Reconnaissance Satellites Can Peek Into Your Privacy"
by staff reporter Hou Jing
Beijing Keji Ribao
May 26, 2004(FBIS Translated Text) With advances in space technology, humanity has come gradually to realize the importance of satellite technology. The exceptional performance of surveillance satellites during conflicts, such as the Gulf War and NATO's outstanding handling of the conflict in former Yugoslavia, further demonstrated the importance of surveillance satellites in modern warfare. Recognizing the military value of space, many countries began or stepped up development of military aerospace technologies and systems.
Of these, surveillance satellites have become priority or key programs in many nations.
Following the train collision at North Korea's Ryongchon Station, BBC made public satellite pictures on its website. The black smoke that was still billowing into the air over Ryongchon Station 18 hours after the incident revealed the force of the blast. The clear satellite photographs made a news blackout an effort in futility and showed that spy satellites traveling through space will make it difficult to keep secrets in this world.
Russian, British, French, and especially American surveillance satellites represent the leading edge of surveillance satellite hardware, which includes remote photoelectric sensors, radio receivers, and radar sensors, and are at the core of the US army, navy, and air force's surveillance hardware. The United States normally employs these satellites for spying and carrying out surveillance on other nations and especially on military movements in hotspots around the world. During wartime, the US military uses spy satellites to collect data and pictures of battlegrounds, enemy areas, and important strategic targets.
At least 32 military satellites served the multinational forces during the Gulf War
Iraq's surprise attack and occupation of its neighbor Kuwait on 2 August 1990 triggered the Gulf War, a war that lasted six months. Over 400,000 US and Allied troops swarmed into the Gulf area. Important Iraqi airstrips, munitions dumps, and strategic facilities experienced serious losses as US guided missiles and aircraft carried out saturation bombing on them. How was the United States able to obtain precise intelligence on Iraq's classified military facilities? Spy satellites played a vital role.
The surveillance satellite 11, which represents the latest digital imagery transmission satellite of the United States, photographs surface objects using charged coupled cameras. With a surface resolution of 1.5-3 meters, viewing images on the earth's surface is like viewing a television program. It was through this surveillance satellite that Iraqi military movements against Kuwait were first discovered. With a ground resolution of 0.1 meters, the even more advanced KH-12 (Keyhole) spy satellites could clearly make out Iraqi tanks, tents, and personnel in the desert.
The Lacrosse surveillance satellite is a radar imagery satellite.
With its vast amounts of desert, the Gulf area is ideal for 24-hour a day radar surveillance. Radar imagery satellites differ from visible light photosurveillance satellites in that they do not need light to photograph. They can work without interruption day and night to provide imagery of surface objects. Large quantities of data transmitted by these satellites were processed and inputted into the control systems of the US Navy and Air Force's guided missiles. As a result, the majority of Iraq's strategic installations, meticulously camouflaged though they were, were bombed one after another by the multinational forces.
During the Gulf War, the utilization of US surveillance satellites drew attention and concern from countries throughout the world. Following the war, many nations, especially the United States, Russia, England, and France, made the development of surveillance satellite technology a key part of their aerospace technology development at the onset of the 21st century. When summing up experience lessons over the course of the Gulf War, the United States stressed the importance of electromagnetic data supremacy, that is the importance of electromagnetic surveillance as well as the collection, control, and right to use electromagnetic data. This will be the key to winning wars at the beginning of the 21st century.
Size to be focus of tomorrow's surveillance satellites
Currently deployed electronic surveillance satellites, such as the KH-12 optical imagery, the Lacrosse radar imagery surveillance satellite, "Wine Jug," and "Folding Chair," belong to the latest generation of US military surveillance satellites. The KH-12 and Lacrosse satellites currently make up the backbone of the US' aerospace surveillance equipment. The "Wine Jug" and "Folding Chair" satellites are the mainstays of America's aerospace surveillance equipment of the early 21st century. Military surveillance satellites presently being developed by the United States include large "8X" photography surveillance satellites, the Defense Support Program satellites, the Space Based Infrared System early warning satellites, and small satellites networks used in strategic surveillance. Because they have short R&D; cycles and low production costs (less than US$10 million per satellite), are easy to update, have long life spans (7-10 years), and can be launched on short notice, small radar satellites will be a key focus of future surveillance satellite development.
With France at the lead, Europe will have the world's third largest military force in the 21st century
The termination of the Cold War and the multipolarization of the world politically have reminded an increasing number of states of the importance of space supremacy in modern warfare. Surveillance satellites are capable of providing seamless, real-time, all-time, all-weather intelligence of the enemy's situation. This enables a military to keep on top of changes in the overall situation of both one's own and enemy forces, thereby clearly tipping the outcome of a war. This gives satellites an increasingly important role as a strategic deterrent. Recognizing this, Europe has decided to develop its own surveillance satellites. Europe's strategy: set up its own military surveillance satellite system with France leading the way and become the third major power in space in the 21st century.
France, which places particular emphasis on developing military space systems, plans to focus on developing military surveillance satellite systems, including Helios photoelectric imagery surveillance satellites, the next generation of radar imagery satellites, the "Cherry" and "Zenong" electronic surveillance satellites, and early warning guidance satellites. Military satellite systems, however, require huge investment. Due to fund considerations, France has endeavored to encourage other nations of the Western European Union to participate in system development.
Europe is expected to launch its third generation of satellites in 2005. The remote visible light sensor will be equipped with 0.1-meter ground resolution, infrared remote sensors and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).
After the United States and the Soviet Union, China was the third nation to successfully launch recoverable satellites
Realizing the importance of recoverable surveillance satellites, China made recoverability a priority in developing surveillance satellites when making plans to develop satellites back in 1965. It also carried out its first successful test flight and recovery in 1975 to become the third nation, after the United States and the Soviet Union, to successfully launch recoverable satellites.
This achievement was significant because from that time on, China would have its own means to strategic reconnaissance. It would have the capability to ascertain targets for China's strategic guided missiles, monitor the military deployment and mobilization of other nations, and checking the camouflage of its own military targets. The military value of these satellites is irreplaceable. As of the end of 1997, China had launched 40 locally produced satellites, 17 of which were recoverable surveillance satellites.
As of today, China has developed three types of surveillance satellites and successfully launched 17 individual surveillance satellites.
The successful development of China's second generation of surveillance satellites has brought the technology of her surveillance satellites to new heights. China's second generation of surveillance satellites are not only advanced, large increases in size and payload make them more flexible, giving them a great deal of development potential.
China is capable of dealing with new round of 'Star Wars'
Due to the military significance of surveillance satellites, the United States has recently been attempting to monopolize space surveillance.
On 17 November 1997, the United States carried out an experiment in which lasers were used to strike a satellite. Due to technological limitations, the United States currently still lacks the capability of destroying the satellites of other nations, but its lasers can damage the optics of spy satellites that use them.
China will not take part in the military space race, but she has made tremendous strides in high-energy lasers. Despite the fact that China does not have the capability to destroy satellites, it can damage optical surveillance satellites. This will be enough to deter other countries from interfering with or launching illegal laser strikes against her surveillance satellites.
Today, electronic surveillance satellites development objectives include -- multifunctionality, long life spans, real time transmissions, and adaptability. Current development trends for electronic surveillance satellites include further enhancement of the signal processing capabilities and speed of onboard electronic surveillance equipment, improving anti-jamming capabilities, the ability to change orbits, and protection from attack.
With the race to space and constant improvements in space based platform systems, the spreading of air combat into space is irreversible.
The percentage of space-based command control equipment and materials will increase, early warning surveillance satellites, communications satellites, and navigational positioning satellites will become indispensable to air force command control.
News background
One of Taiwan's high-resolution remote sensing satellite ROCSAT 2 was launched from a base in the United States at 1:47 on the morning of 21 May.
ROCSAT 2 is the first high-resolution remote sensing satellite designed by Taiwan. It has a black-and-white ground resolution of two meters, a color ground resolution of eight meters, and a picture width of 24 kilometers. Furthermore, reports indicate that the satellite has military uses, but Taiwan authorities have remained silent.
Related Information
What do satellite photos look like?
Satellite photos, in fact, consist of large quantities of pixels invisible to the naked eye. The finer the pixels, the easier it is to make out details and dimensions on objects in photographs. Photograph pixel density is normally expressed as the number of lines per millimeter -- the more lines, the higher the quality of the photograph. For example, in a satellite photo with 250 x 250 lines or 62,500 pixels per square millimeter, the distance between two neighboring pixels is a mere four microns. That distance is so small that even if it were increased ten-fold, it would still be invisible to the naked eye.
What can we see with four microns?
This has to do with camera focus and the altitude of the satellite. If the camera is set for two-meter resolution and the satellite is flying at an altitude of 150 kilometers, then, based on simple geometric calculations, we can determine that four microns is equivalent to ground objects 0.3 meters in size. This length is referred to as the photograph's ground resolution. In layman's terms, ground resolution is the smallest size at which objects can be distinguished on a photo. Ground resolution is the most important indicator when determining how advanced the technology of a surveillance satellite is. It does not refer how big an object on the ground needs to be to be recognizable in a photo. A target of about three meters photographed at a resolution of 0.3 meters shows up as merely one pixel in the photograph and no matter how much the photograph is blown up, it is still a pixel. In order to recognize a target, therefore, there must be many pixels to form an outline of the object on the photo.
What can you see in satellite photos?
The US Big Bird surveillance satellites are widely regarded as having 0.3 meter resolution -- the current standard for spy satellites. Generally speaking, the smallest object recognizable on a photograph is equivalent to approximately five to ten times that of the ground resolution or about 1.5 to 3 meters. A person's shoulders are about 0.5 meters in width or only one or two pixels on a Big Bird satellite photo.
This could be identified as an object on the photo, but it would be impossible to determine whether it was a person or a thing. There is no way to be certain with only one or two pixels. It goes without saying, therefore, that there would be no way to determine whether the object were a man or a woman. If a Big Bird satellite were to see a headline on a newspaper, then the characters would have to be at least 0.3 meters in size. On the other hand, if you wanted to read the headline, then the ground resolution would have to be 0.3 millimeters -- a 100-fold improvement over current technology.
Obviously, interpreting satellite photos is a specialized skill in itself. Recognizing objects on satellite photos depends not only on ground resolution. There is a correlation between the knowledge of technician, his competence as an interpreter, and his knowledge of the area surrounding the object being observed.
Different requirements for ground resolution
The first requirement level is "discovery" or the ability to determine the existence of an object. The second level is "differentiating," that is being able to see a vague outline of the object. The third level is "confirmation" -- being able to distinguish the object from among similar objects. Level four is "description" or the ability to recognize any special characteristics and details of the object in question. Of these four levels, the ground resolution requirements for the "discovery" level is lowest. The requirements for "differentiate" and "confirmation" are higher and that for "description" is highest. For example, the ground resolution needed to "discover" an airplane on a photograph is 4.5 meters, while that for "describing" the same airplane would be 0.15 meters. The respective ground resolutions for an automobile would be 1.5 and 0.5 meters.
(Description of Source: Beijing Keji Ribao in Chinese -- daily newspaper of domestic and foreign science and technology; published by the State Science and Technology Commission, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the State Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense)