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Probably this is another way for generating moneyflow - selling satellite images to everyone. This also explain why we can't get detailed images for "sensitive

• nix23 6y ago
  In my mind the workflow was like that: -Mil. Satellite makes Photos -They are Redacted/Checkt by the NRO -The "Clear for Civil use" material is sold by Keyhole Inc.
• baybal2 6y ago
  Not so much. Satellite image data was already available to everyone with money, what they did not have was cartography, and annotations. I bet Google Map today has thousand times more cartographic data, and annotations than when it was managed by the Keyhole. Now you have croudsourced data from military sites, and even some selfie photos from Russian missile bases where guards have authorisation to shoot without warning.
• jjk166 6y ago
  Actually taking and distributing pictures of the earth from space requires a license (issued by NOAA of all agencies) which requires certain protections for the national security of the US and some allied nations. I presume the other nations capable of launching satellites have similar laws in place. SpaceX had to modify their launch broadcasts to stop showing images taken from space as they do not (or at least didn't at the time) have such a license. [0] https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/CRSRA/files/15%20CFR%20Part%20960%20Regs%202020.pdf https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/CRSRA/files/15%20CFR%20Part%2096...