The two $1 billion-apiece KH-12 satellites the Pentagon has in orbit are like Hubble space telescopes pointed back to earth. From 164 miles up, their optical sensors can snap clear photographs of objects no larger than a paperback novel on the ground. The two Lacrosse satellites, same price tag, with solar-power panels that stretch the length of half a football field, have radar-imaging cameras that can see through clouds and even the dust storms that swirl around India's Pokhran test site. In a crisis, at least one of the four birds can be positioned over a target 24 hours a day,...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
