E Y E S P Y I S S U E 3 7 , 2 0 0 5/6 21

Preparing for aSpace Pearl

Harbour

D E E PBLACKWar in Space

EspionageD E E PBLACK

20

he launch of Sputnik by theSoviet Union in 1957 marked thebeginning of a superpowerrivalry with the United States thatlasted throughout the Cold War.Both Moscow and Washingtonrecognised the value and

significance of space. Since then, hundreds ofsatellites have been launched for military andcivilian scientific exploration. However, no longerdo the two nations compete to provide a “threeminute warning”, or seek to destroy relativemissile launching sites - at least for now.

The new threat is an emerging one, and anunqualified puzzle that now sees analysts acrossthe world scrambling for answers. In the last two

E Y E S P Y I S S U E 3 7 , 2 0 0 5/6

A covert black

programme is

already being

enabled to ensure

the safety of

“friendly satellites”

IMAGES COURTESY OF NASA, NORAD, US ARMY, USAF, DOD

Air Traffic Control - Flights GPS - Vehicle Navigation

' NYCEM

A USAF officer runs through a checklist

during Global Positioning System satellite

operations. This operations centre in

Colorado controls a constellation of 29

orbiting satellites that provides navigation

data to military and civilian users world-

wide. The implications of satellite

disruption are obvious

MaritimeNavigation

Emergency Services Power

Comms

ALL AT RISK IN THE EVENT OF FAILUREdecades, the revolution in computers andtelecommunications has resulted in a newelement in the space arena: commercialutilization. Miniaturisation, efficientpower sources and growth in computingpower has made smaller satellites possi-ble and thus affordable to many coun-tries. In a world free of suspicion andreason, this new technology would behailed as a breakthrough, but dig ever soslightly beneath the surface and you willfind a very different scenario. “DeepBlack” has suddenly assumed a differentmeaning.

Many nations are now launchingsatellites or planning for future pro-grammes. Innocent university studies aredriving private industry and photographstaken of previously top secret sites appearregularly. Satellites can now be “driven” todifferent locations in space and emerging

technology is augmenting a plethora ofsystems built for new industries.

Most satellites are launched to providecommunications data, traffic and travelguidance, help in scientific discovery orweather monitoring, but the modusoperandi of others are less than transpar-ent. Even nations such as Iran are joiningthe ‘space race’, but some intelligencewatchers believe rogue satellites blan-keted in seemingly benevolent pro-grammes are now orbiting Earth. Fore-casters predict these will pose an enor-mous threat to the intelligence anddefence world in future days. Thus it wasinevitable countermeasures by the USA,Russia and at least three other nations arerapidly being discussed.

Fears were raised that the neutrality ofspace was nearing its end in January

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