The surveillance network was made public earlier this year when two Reuters stories disclosed that SpaceX is constructing hundreds of satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office, a U.S. intelligence agency, for a massive system in orbit that would enable it to quickly identify ground targets almost anywhere in the globe.
As part of a new U.S. intelligence network aimed at greatly enhancing the nation's space-based monitoring capabilities, SpaceX launched its first batch of operational spy satellites on Wednesday. This was the first of many more scheduled for this year.
The surveillance network was made public earlier this year when two Reuters stories disclosed that SpaceX is constructing hundreds of satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office, a U.S. intelligence agency, for a massive system in orbit that would enable it to quickly identify ground targets almost anywhere in the globe.
Longstanding space and military contractor Northrop Grumman is also working on the project.
At 4 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket took out from the Southern Californian Vandenberg Space Force Base, launching what the NRO described as the "first launch of the NRO's proliferated systems integrating responsive collection as well as rapid data delivery."
Without specifying how many satellites will be deployed, the government said, "About six launches supporting NRO's proliferated construction are planned for 2024, along with additional launches expected through 2028."
In order to support operations on Earth, militaries and intelligence services worldwide have come to rely more and more on satellites in Earth's orbit. This trend has been pushed in part by declining launch costs and changing risks to conventional ground-based and aerial data collecting techniques.
The level to which Elon Musk's SpaceX has become the go-to company for the U.S. government for some of its most critical missions is also evident from the NRO satellite network. With the help of its Starlink network, a for-profit network of thousands of broadband internet satellites, the corporation has taken the lead in the US rocket launch industry and grown to become the biggest satellite operator globally.
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