wevigilo May 17th, 2008
BIG BROTHER
IN THE SKY
LOCKHEED SATELLITES
ON US DO SPY
www.WeVigil.org
For over three decades Lockheed, and later Lockheed Martin (LM), has been in the forefront of spy satellite activities. LM’s Keyhole and Lacrosse satellites are continually “imaging” the earth – that is taking pictures or radar images of what is happening on the ground. They are managed by the National Reconnaissance Office.
Keyhole spy satellites are like giant orbiting digital cameras with monstrous lenses. They have been compared to Hubble Telescopes pointed toward earth taking pictures from 200 miles high to support military missions. Several are overhead at any given time. Three-dimensional images of the terrain and buildings can be constructed from these photographs. But visible light and infrared photography can’t see through clouds and dust so that is supplemented by 15-ton Lacrosse radar-imaging spy satellites.
Lacrosse satellites orbit 400-450 miles high. Their radars can see through clouds, dust, and even have some soil penetration capabilities. This imaging beam is the equivalent of 1,500 flash pictures per second and can function day or night. They probably view specific areas with high resolution and scan larger areas with lower quality. Newer Lacrosse satellites are also called Onyx.
Lockheed-Martin is also in the forefront of new spy satellite development. LM was designing photo-imaging satellites for the Future Imagery Architecture when it was canceled in 2005. A secret “stealth” satellite known as Misty was launched in 1990 and was quickly spotted by amateur space observers. This $9-plus billion program, with cost overruns topping $4 billion in 2005, was cancelled in June 2007. An experimental L-21 spy satellite costing hundreds of millions of dollars was launched on 14 December 2006. Contact was immediately lost and it is slowly dropping out of orbit. The bidding stage is now beginning for a new photo-reconnaissance system known as BASIC.
On 25 May 2007 Keyhole and Lacrosse satellites, along with eavesdropping satellites were made available to spy on Americans. Department of Homeland Security established a National Applications Office in October to distribute information to the government agencies requesting it. Ostensibly to monitor natural disasters and patrol the borders, this new spying capability will do much more – the public doesn’t even know how much more but it opens a whole new ballgame on invasions of privacy. Gregory Nojeim of the Center for Democracy and Technology said: “You are talking about enormous power. Not only is the surveillance … intrusive and omnipresent, it’s also invisible. And that’s what makes this so dangerous.” Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists called it potentially “a transformation of the American political structure toward a surveillance state in which the entire public domain is subject to official monitoring.” Orwell’s Big Brother has arrived.
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References.
“What is a Keyhole Satellite and what can it Really Spy On?” HowStuffWorks at http://science.howstuffworks.com/question529.htm
“Lacrosse/Onyx,” Federation of American Scientists at http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/imint/lacrosse.htm
Jehl, Douglas; “Review Leads to Upheaval in Spy Satellite Programs,” The New York Times, 30 September 2005.
Shachtman, Noah; “Head Spook Kills Off Lame Spy Sat,” Wired News, 22 June 2007.
Shalal-Esa, Andrea; “US Spy Satellite Declared Loss, to Drop Out of Orbit,” Reuters, 2 August 2007.
CBS News; “US Pursuing New Spy Satellite Program,” 30 November 2007.
Block, Robert; “US to Expand Domestic Use of Spy Satellites,” The Wall Street Journal, 15 August 2007.
Schmitt, Eric; “Liberties Advocates Fear Abuse of Satellite Images,” The New York Times, 17 August, 2007.