Spy Satellites facts
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In 1977, William Kampiles stole a top-secret KH-11 spy satellite manual from the CIA which he sold to the Russians for $3000. He then told the CIA for who he worked what he had done in the hopes that they would hire him as a double agent. They didn't and he was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
how spy satellites work?
Some of the first US spy satellites took imagery on 70 millimeter film, which was recovered by dropping huge film canisters from space and catching them mid-air by a passing US Air Force plane
What are spy satellites?
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what resolution do spy satellites have. Here are 49 of the best facts about Spy Satellites Resolution and Spy Satellites Were Part Of The I managed to collect.
what can spy satellites see?
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George Clooney uses most of his earnings from the Nespresso adverts to fund a spy satellite over Sudan to prevent genocide.
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George Clooney spent his Nespresso earnings on a spy satellite to watch Sudan warlord accused of genocide and other war crimes, Omar Al Bashir.
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The first American spy satellites literally dropped their film from space in a "film bucket" that was then scooped up in midair by a plane.
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Older generation spy satellites predated any form of digital imaging by decades. They literally exposed film and dropped it back to earth in small re-entry pods.
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The US govt donated two spy satellites to NASA in 2012. Both were more powerful than Hubble and were set to be decommissioned because they were deemed obsolete.
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The first spy satellites would eject capsules of photographic film back to earth, which would then be caught mid-flight by aeroplanes and returned to ground for photos to be developed.
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A group of amateur astronomers track down goverment spy satellites and publish the information, which is supposed to be classified.
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Digital cameras were developed so spy satellites could send images back to earth more quickly. Before digital cameras in 1976, spy satellites used film. After the film was shot, the satellites loaded the footage into capsules and dropped them from orbit into the atmosphere for collection.
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Cold War spy satellites from the 1960s took pictures of 10,000 ancient cities and ruins in the Middle East which nobody knew existed until they were re-examined in 2014. The images were made before modern cities overran many archaeological sites.
What is true about spy satellites?
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Boeing was banned from bidding on contracts for US spy satellites after one of their contracts went over budget by at least $4 billion before it was ultimately cancelled and given to Lockheed Martin.
Each new US spy satellite under the "Key Hole" program is expected to cost more than the latest Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. - source
George Clooney, as the spokesman for Nespresso, spends most of the money he makes from the deal on keeping a spy satellite operating. The satellite is over the North and South Sudan border, monitoring Omar al-Bashir and his army. - source
After a classified Corona spy satellite's film capsule was found by Venezuelan farmers and broken open, the US realized that labeling it "Secret" was a bad idea. Later capsules offered in eight languages a reward for returning it to American officials.
The design of the Space Shuttle was influenced by the United States Air Force, which wanted the ability to snatch Soviet spy satellites out of orbit. - source
When was the first camera equipped spy satellite launched?
A Top-Secret KH-11 Spy Satellite Manual was stolen from the CIA Headquarters in Langley by a low-ranking clerk. They only found out after the clerk flew back from a Soviet Embassy in Greece and petitioned the CIA to work for them as a double agent. They refused and he was sentenced to 40 years.
How many spy satellites are in orbit?
An amateur astronomer was able to take detailed pictures of a secret military KH-12 spy satellite in orbit - from his backyard
In 2007, wreckage from a Russian spy satellite re-entered Earth's atmosphere, coming within 8 km of an in-flight passenger jet. The pilot reported hearing the sonic boom as it passed.
Hubble telescope is smaller, cheaper, and of a lower capacity than many spy satellites
Spy satellites in the 60's erased fears of a missile gap and President LBJ claimed they were worth it because "We were building things we didn't need to build"
The United States had a network of spy satellites that were used to take reconnaissance pictures of the USSR and China, and the film cannisters were often retrieved by plane as the fell to Earth.