could the GeoEye-1 spy satellite have a "classified mode"?

..

everybody knows that the GPS satellites system has two operational
modes: a "declassified" commercial/low accuracy mode and a
"classified" military/higher accuracy mode

well, my question is:

could the Google Intelligence Agency (GIA) GeoEye-1 new spy satellite
have also a VERY HI-RES "classified mode"?

GeoEye-1 Wired article:

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2...e-1-super.html

Google Intelligenge Agency (GIA) logo/patch/parody:

http://www.ghostnasa.com/gia.jpg

..

could the Google Intelligence Agency (GIA) GeoEye-1 new spy satellite
have also a VERY HI-RES "classified mode"?

Not if it stays at the orbital altitude it now has.

I've looked at how much better it might get than the nominal 43 cm
with the current aperture. By biasing the response toward the blue end
of the spectrum and making approprate adjustments to the optics and
detectors, they *might* get down to the 35 cm range. But I wouldn't
bet much money on it.

Of course, they could simply drop the altitude considerably at the
cost of lifetime and pick up a factor of two or so.

On Oct 11, 12:04*pm, gaetanomarano wrote:
.

everybody knows that the GPS satellites system has two operational
modes: a "declassified" commercial/low accuracy mode and a
"classified" military/higher accuracy mode

well, my question is:

could the Google Intelligence Agency (GIA) GeoEye-1 new spy satellite
have also a VERY HI-RES "classified mode"?


1. The higher accuracy mode for GPS is not "classified", it is just a
restricted timing signal. It exists all the time

2. There is no need for a "classified" mode for GeoEye.

3. High resolution would require a larger aperture/mirror. Can't hide
the fact of that

On 11 Ott, 19:04, Allen Thomson wrote:


Not if it stays at the orbital altitude it now has.

if it works (also) in a "classified mode" it may have (also) a
"classified optics" with proper specs

..

On 11 Ott, 21:36, wrote:


1. *The higher accuracy mode for GPS is not "classified"

probably it's not the right term to say that's it can be used only by
military


2. *There is no need for a "classified" mode for GeoEye.

my opinion is that Google (already) is something MORE (much more and
much dangerous!) than the "free stuffs/don't be evil" company it wants
we believe to


3. *High resolution would require a larger aperture/mirror. Can't hide
the fact of that

if it has (also) a "classified mode" (clearly) it's hardware specs
isn't revealed to press...

..

In article
,
gaetanomarano wrote:

.

everybody knows that the GPS satellites system has two operational
modes: a "declassified" commercial/low accuracy mode and a
"classified" military/higher accuracy mode

There's nothing "classified" about the high accuracy timing signal.
It's just encrypted. The public timing signal for non-military use
gives less accurate positioning information.

Or it did, until Selective Availability was turned off. For years, the
former "low accuracy" unencrypted signal has lacked the random errors
that used to be introduced to intentionally degrade the results. So now
every GPS receiver, military or not, gets the same high accuracy.

In article
,
gaetanomarano wrote:

On 11 Ott, 19:04, Allen Thomson wrote:


Not if it stays at the orbital altitude it now has.

if it works (also) in a "classified mode" it may have (also) a
"classified optics" with proper specs

Such "classified optics" would still be bound by the Rayleigh limit.
The size of the telescope's aperture determines its minimum angular
resolution.

On Oct 11, 1:33 pm, Alan Anderson wrote:
In article
,

gaetanomarano wrote:
.

everybody knows that the GPS satellites system has two operational
modes: a "declassified" commercial/low accuracy mode and a
"classified" military/higher accuracy mode

There's nothing "classified" about the high accuracy timing signal.
It's just encrypted. The public timing signal for non-military use
gives less accurate positioning information.

Or it did, until Selective Availability was turned off. For years, the
former "low accuracy" unencrypted signal has lacked the random errors
that used to be introduced to intentionally degrade the results. So now
every GPS receiver, military or not, gets the same high accuracy.

Of course their best possible resolution is fully encrypted and very
much need to know, as otherwise why would our MI5/CIA bother with
utilizing such images if just anyone could see exactly whatever they
get to see?

~ BG

On 11 Ott, 22:33, Alan Anderson wrote:


There's nothing "classified" about the high accuracy timing signal. *
It's just encrypted.

yes, "encrypted" is the right term, not "classified"

..

On 11 Ott, 22:41, Alan Anderson wrote:


Such "classified optics" would still be bound by the Rayleigh limit. *
The size of the telescope's aperture determines its minimum angular
resolution.

it may be true for the known/revealed optics, but, if they have add a
2nd (classified) device with better specs, clearly they'll never
reveal it to the press

..