New Law: Satellite Imaging only through DOD site.

It's too late to do anything about it... it's already law...

Apparently satellite surveillance images will now only be obtainable through specially approved government accounts on www.space-track.org...

Part of obtaining the account is agreeing not to redistribute any part of the information garnered from the site (or analysis of the information) without the express permission of the Secretary of State.

Further terms and conditions for signing up for the Space-Track account are:

• "Use of the data obtained from this site is at your sole risk and expense. You are solely responsible for the adoption, rejection, use, or implementation of the data obtained from this site."
  
  - Okay, fair enough. Anyone accepts a fair amount of risk using other people's data. Right?
  
  
• "This website is owned and operated by the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government provides the data and other materials on this website as a public and general act as a sovereign subject to its discretion concerning the allocation of U.S. Government resources that may be available to support this or other national initiatives."
  
  - So, basically, they are saying "Here's what you get, out of the kindness of our hearts, and we can take it away, at any time we want."
  
  
• "There is no contractual obligation to provide the data or other materials or to
  warrant the condition or suitability of the data."
  
  - Okay... So, they basically don't have to give us any data at all, or the data can be completely unusable. Or perhaps the info will be kept on an etch-a-sketch, in a basement somewhere.
  
  
• "We reserve the right to change or modify any of the terms and conditions contained herein at any time and at our sole discretion."
  
  - Obviously because the existing rules are so incredibly binding to them, they need a tiny bit of wiggle room?
  
  
• "Notwithstanding any of these terms and conditions, the U.S. Government reserves the right, without notice and in its sole discretion, to terminate the user's access to this website, and to block or prevent future access to and use of the website."
  
  - So, basically, in lieu of Soup Nazis, we now get Space Nazis. "No Space for You! One year!"
  
  
• "You should have no expectation of privacy. By continuing, you consent to your keystrokes and data content being monitored."
  
  - Note that they didn't say this was strictly limited to just the site.
  

Details on what situation has led to this are on
www.celestrak.com...

Anyone have any further thoughts on the subject?

This is digusting!!!

The American goverment sure must have some thing to hide, if they want to have total control of the images people can see.

Any one think that they will start to air brush images out of the pics we get to see from them? hide behind air brushed images of areas, and can say, " well, look at the pictures, theres nothing there for you to worry about...."

Disgusting, flagrant abuse of power and control.

You could still access the information with the FOIA, jsut takes a bit longer.

Originally posted by MadGrimbo

Any one think that they will start to air brush images out of the pics we get to see from them?
.

They hav been doing that to private sites for a long time. If you ever used earth viewer, and tried to look at Area51, it wasnt there. Just a pixelated blur. Same thing with some other countries military facilities as well.

Well, I can see, to an extent, the control of sattelite survelliance of the Earth. In the interests of National Security, sometimes it is neccesary. However, I can't see any excuse why space itself should have to meet DoD approval to be shown.

The only reasons I can think of are perhaps to avoid showing alread-existing space projects beyond the view of private ground-based telescopes, but that would be assuming quite a lot. I don't know if this qualifies as evidence of a coverup, or if it's merely evidence of an overly paranoid government overstepping its bounds again.

It seems that you guys are missing the point, the only sattelite imagery that is being controlled is provided by the US military.

Why would the US not provide some controls on dissimenating military information to the public? Can you name another country that provides military imagery to public free of charge? I don't think so.

Er...Then how am I able to use keyhole legally and view sat pics across the world?

Heck, I can even view sattelite pics of Mars's surface.

From what I understand, it's not just mil-sat imagery. Unless NASA qualifies as a military institute.

And Keyhole (and related sites) work because those aren't sattelite images. They're photos from spy planes.

Originally posted by thelibra
From what I understand, it's not just mil-sat imagery. Unless NASA qualifies as a military institute.

And Keyhole (and related sites) work because those aren't sattelite images. They're photos from spy planes.

After reading the links in depth, this particular law affects "national security space survaillance payloads". This does not include imagery of the earth taken from space. This includes data about objects in space (i.e. sattelite orbits, launches, etc.). And yes, all of NASA's space surveillance (which mainly involves tracking objects that can danger NASA missions) is done by the Air Force Space Command.

Originally posted by Starwars51
After reading the links in depth, this particular law affects "national security space survaillance payloads". This does not include imagery of the earth taken from space. This includes data about objects in space (i.e. sattelite orbits, launches, etc.). And yes, all of NASA's space surveillance (which mainly involves tracking objects that can danger NASA missions) is done by the Air Force Space Command.

Ahhh... okay, well, I suppose that makes a lot more sense. I had garnered the impression that tools like the Hubble (and future sat-scopes) would have their images strictly controlled by the DoD.

Still, it irks me though. "National Security Space Surveilliance Payloads" is a bit ambiguous, and the depth to what could be considered it could be stretched.

Originally posted by thelibra

Still, it irks me though. "National Security Space Surveilliance Payloads" is a bit ambiguous, and the depth to what could be considered it could be stretched.

True, but with state of the art military equipment it's not always possible to name each piece of affected equipment in matters of public record.

Space Surveillance is trypically (within the AF) used to define radar systems (typically land based, but there could be space based in the future) that track objects in space, electro-optical space survailance (telescopes that track sattelites), and sattelites that detect IR signatures of space launches.

So does this effect privatly owned imaging satelites, or just military owned imaging satelites?

Well... Aren't those same what software industry uses?
"We don't take any responsibility from answering anything, including our phones numbers and reserve right to change anything."


Here's more what belongs to Air Force Space Command.

Space forces support involves launching satellites and other high-value payloads into space using a variety of expendable launch vehicles. It also operates those satellites once in the medium of space.
Space control ensures friendly use of space through the conduct of counterspace operations encompassing surveillance, negation and protection.
Force enhancement provides weather, communications, intelligence, missile warning and navigation.
Force application involves maintaining and operating a rapid response land-based ICBM force as part of the nation's strategic nuclear triad.
Computer Network Defense
Computer Network Attack

www.globalsecurity.org...

www.globalsecurity.org...
www.globalsecurity.org...

But it's NRO (National Reconnaissance Office) which is behind satellites. (and "output" of those)
www.nro.gov...

Well, You can always rent the Russian spy satelite and get them to snap the pics you want right?

What happens if i sign up as a hobbyist or student (both which i am).. and come on here and start talking about area 51 and other things.. it says "you consent to your keystrokes and data content being monitored." So this means they will see what im typing and think im up to something which im really not i would like to view the site and register but what happens when i come back on here? Will the MIB come? Will i have black cars and vans outside of my house?

[edit on 20-3-2005 by ShadowMan]