EOMilitary

Satellite Imagery Illuminates 100 Days of War in Ukraine

Tomorrow marks 100 days since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. 

Over the course of the last few months, satellite imagery has served as the world’s window into the destruction and tolls of war, providing vital intelligence that the Ukrainian and allied governments and humanitarian groups have used to defend the country and ease human suffering.

Planet’s Snapshots newsletter chronicled the information we’ve gained from satellite imagery over the past few months. In a Q&A with open-source researcher Wim Zwijnenburg, interspersed with Planet satellite shots, the newsletter goes into the great power—and great responsibility—that comes with wielding satellite imagery for military intelligence:

“In the wider debate, OSINT analysts should be careful on what they publish, in particular around the privacy of civilian victims, as this can be misused or hard to remove once it’s online,” said Zwijnenburg. “Also, they have a responsibility to be really thorough in their publications, as information spreads fast.”

For Payload’s part…We’ve been closely following the role that OSINT via satellite imagery has played in the war so far. In the beginning, the Ukrainian government’s need for commercial satellite imagery quickly became apparent, and the commercial EO sector quickly rose to the challenge, agreeing to freely provide Ukraine with imagery. 

Since then, numerous companies have begun initiatives to make it easier for Ukraine and allies to access this imagery, spanning from user-friendly data portals to a fundraising campaign to help Ukraine operate its own EO constellation.

The upshot: This is the first major conflict where public satellite imagery has played a vital intelligence role. The ability to see directly into the war zone has cut through the fog of war to counter false claims about what’s really happening on the ground. 

Related Stories
Military

We Have Some Space Questions About The Golden Dome

President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for a new, satellite-based missile defense architecture around the continental US has defense contractors salivating, but questions about the cost, capabilities, and requirement for such a system remain unanswered. Are we already doing it? The executive order calling for the “Iron Dome” (now Golden Dome) system expected the Pentagon […]

Military

The Space Force Outlines Its Guide to Space Warfare

Space is the ultimate high ground, and like a modern-day Sun Tzu, Space Force chief Gen. Chance Saltzman has issued his Art of Space War.

InternationalMilitaryPolaris

NATO Considers Reopening Space Policy Ahead of Schedule

“It’s not supposed to be even touched until 2027. Now they’re saying that’s probably too long. So let’s talk about—is now the time, based on what’s happening in the world,” Col. Jonathan Whitaker told Payload on the sidelines of Space Symposium. 

Military

Derek Tournear Will Return to the SDA’s Helm

Dust off that nameplate: Derek Tournear is taking his corner office back. The former leader of the Space Development Agency (SDA) will return to his old job on April 17, following three months of administrative leave.