SpaceX launched its first batch of operational spy satellites as part of a new U.S. intelligence network intended to significantly improve the country’s space-based monitoring capabilities.
As part of a new U.S. intelligence network aimed at greatly enhancing the nation’s space-based monitoring capabilities, SpaceX launched its first batch of operational spy satellites on Wednesday. This was the first of several more planned for this year.
The surveillance network was made public earlier this year by two stories that claimed SpaceX was manufacturing hundreds of satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office, an intelligence organization in the United States, for a massive system in orbit that would allow it to quickly identify ground targets practically anywhere on the globe.
The initiative also involves veteran space and defense firm Northrop Grumman (NOC.N.).
At 4 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket took off from the Southern Californian Vandenberg Space Force Base, launching what the NRO described as the “first launch of the NRO’s proliferated systems featuring responsive collection and rapid data delivery.”
Without specifying how many satellites would be deployed, the agency stated, “About six launches supporting NRO’s proliferated architecture are planned for 2024, with additional launches expected through 2028.”
In order to support operations on Earth, militaries and intelligence services worldwide have come to rely more and more on satellites in Earth’s orbit. This trend has been pushed in part by declining launch costs and changing risks to conventional ground-based and aerial data collection techniques.
The level to which Elon Musk’s SpaceX has become the go-to company for the U.S. government for some of its most critical missions is also evident from the NRO satellite network. With the help of its Starlink network, a for-profit network of thousands of broadband internet satellites, the corporation has taken the lead in the US rocket launch market and grown to become the largest satellite operator globally.
Also read: Unveiling the Ethical Imperatives: Navigating the Intersection of AI and Cybersecurity
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