Space Security Index

Space Security 2011
132
Iran’s rst satellite, the Sina-1, was launched in 2005 with the support of a Russian launcher,
and has a resolution precision of approximately 50 m. 231 Although the satellite is intended to
collect data on ground and water resources and meteorological conditions, the head of Iran’s
space program said that it is capable of spying on Israel. 232 But poor resolution means that it
is not very useful for military purposes. Iran also has a space launch vehicle program, which
some speculate is linked to its development of ICBMs, and the Shahab-4 and Shahab-5
missiles. 233
Egypt’s civilian Egyptsat-1 remote sensing microsatellite was launched in 2007. Weighing
just 100 kg, it has an infrared imaging sensor and a high-resolution multispectral imager
to transmit black-and-white, color, and infrared images intended to support construction
and cultivation and ght desertication. 234 Egypt has not released public details about the
resolution or clarity of the images it provides, but an Israeli source has made an unconrmed
claim that it can detect objects as small as 4 m. 235
Turkey awarded a $250-million contract for its rst military optical imaging satellite, the
GOKTURK. It is intended to have an 80-cm resolution; the launch is planned for 2011. 236
Australia
Until recently the Australian defense forces used X-band facilities on satellites owned
by the U.S. and other allies. 237 In 2003, however, Australia launched the Defence C1
communications satellite. e satellite will be part of a new Australian Defence Satellite
Communications Capability system, which will provide the country’s defense forces with
communications across Australia and throughout the Asia Pacic region in the X, Ka, and
UHF radio frequency bands. 238 Australia is also participating in the U.S. Wideband Global
SATCOM program. 239
Canada
Canada’s military uses commercial satellite communications and imaging services. 240 In June
2005, the Department of National Defence announced the creation of Project Polar Epsilon,
a joint space-based wide area surveillance and support capability, which will provide allweather,
day/night observation of Canada’s Arctic region and ocean approaches. 241 e project
will build two dedicated military ground stations to receive data from the Radarsat satellites
and other sources to produce high-quality imagery for military and other applications. 242
Radarsat-2, a commercial satellite developed with the Canadian Space Agency, was launched
in 2007 on a Russian Soyuz rocket and orbits the Earth at approximately 800 km. 243 It
uses synthetic aperture radar to produce images with a resolution of up to 3 mz 244 and
has an experimental Ground Moving Target Indicator capability to detect and track the
movement of vehicles and ships. 245 A relatively low-cost ($27-million) Joint Space Support
Project is intended to provide surveillance information for commanders in the eld via direct
in-theatre download of imagery from commercial satellites such as Radarsat-2; it will also
provide space situational awareness data gathered by the U.S. SSN. 246
Canada is on track to deliver the next evolution of the Radarsat program, the Radarsat
Constellation, which will upgrade current systems features and improve reliability over the
next decade. 247 e purpose of the system is not to replace Radarsat-2, but to meet its core
demands at a lower cost and enable future applications. Satellite launches to enable maritime
surveillance, disaster management, and ecosystem monitoring are planned for 2014 and
2015. 248