Aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman is collaborating with SpaceX, the space company led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, on a classified spy satellite initiative that is currently capturing high-resolution images of Earth, according to sources familiar with the program.
Launch of a rocket carrying Starlink satellites. Image credit: SpaceX via Flickr license CC BY-NC 2.0
This project aims to enhance the U.S. government’s ability to monitor military and intelligence targets from low Earth orbits, providing detailed imagery typically obtained by drones and reconnaissance aircraft.
Northrop Grumman’s involvement, previously undisclosed, reflects government efforts to diversify contractor involvement in sensitive intelligence programs, minimizing the reliance on a single entity controlled by a single individual.
According to insiders, Northrop Grumman is providing sensors for some SpaceX satellites, which will be tested at Northrop Grumman facilities before deployment. About 50 SpaceX satellites are expected to undergo procedures, including testing and sensor installation, at Northrop Grumman facilities in the coming years.
Sources indicate that SpaceX has launched a dozen prototypes to date and is already providing test images to the NRO, the intelligence agency responsible for developing US spy satellites.
The network’s imaging capabilities are designed to significantly exceed the resolution of existing U.S. government surveillance systems. Additionally, the network aims to address a pressing concern: the heavy reliance on drones and reconnaissance aircraft to collect imagery in foreign airspace, which poses inherent risks, particularly in conflict zones. By moving image collection to Earth’s orbit, American authorities seek to mitigate these risks.
For SpaceX, known for its rapid reusable rocket launches and commercial satellite projects, this project marks its first foray into intelligence surveillance services, a field traditionally dominated by government agencies and established aerospace entrepreneurs.
Written by Alius Noreïka
Originally published in The European Times.
source link eu news
