Message posted by Chuck Clark on July 29, 2007 at 20:30:35 PST:

In general, permission to photograph all sites is granted when the satellite company acquires its’ imaging license from the government. The only limitations I’ve heard about relate to imaging battlefields and war zones.

All sensitive government facilities are well aware of the orbit pass times of "spy" satellites - be they commercial or foreign. In the old days - a few years back - there were "cover times" posted at sensitive sites that informed workers when they needed to move classified items indoors or else cover them up or disguise them. Back in the cold war days, the U.S. and Russia even used deceptions such as inflatable vehicles, tanks, missiles, and aircraft to fool the other side into miscalculating the correct number and deployment of strategic assets. Back then the satellites could only look straight down, so they were only in position to clearly see a target about once every two weeks. Today, by slanting the cameras, a target can be satisfactorily imaged about every three days.

I'm sure that the photos published here and elsewhere annoy certain agencies and persons, but I have never heard it directly from anyone in their official capacity.

In Reply to: Satellite Photos posted by wozz on July 29, 2007 at 15:29:06 PST:

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