EIGHTY YEARS AGO THE UNITED STATES CAME UP WITH THE  TIMELY 
INNOVATION OF FASTENING CAMERAS  TO PIGEONS FOR AERIAL 
SURVEYING.  TIMES, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES CHANGE.

TODAY THE FRENCH ARE UPSETTING THE AMERICANS (AGAIN) WITH 
THEIR INNOVATION - S.P.O.T. (SATELLITE POUR OBSERVATION DE LA 
TERRE).  THEIR "PHOTOGRAPHS", NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO ANYONE, 
ARE SHOWING U.S. MILITARY SECRETS.  WHEN I FIRST WROTE ABOUT THIS 
PENDING DEVELOPMENT SOME YEARS AGO, NO ONE WOULD BELIEVE THE 
U.S. WOULD/COULD LET IT HAPPEN.  IT HAS.  TODAY MORE THAN A DOZEN 
NON-CENSORABLE  EARTH STATION RECEIVERS SCATTERED AROUND THE 
WORLD CAN PICK UP SUCH SIGNALS AND PROCESS THEM.  A FEW YEARS 
AGO THE SOVIET UNION AND THE U.S. MILITARY HAD A MONOPOLY ON 
SUCH COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES.

THESE PICTURES ARE JUST THE BEGINNING.  

SOON, EVEN HIGHER RESOLUTION --  DOWN TO THE GRAPEFRUIT-SIZE 
OBJECTS NOW AVAILABLE TO THE MILITARY -- WILL BE OFFERED BY THE 
PRIVATE SECTOR.  I HAVE ALREADY SEEN SOVIET MILITARY PHOTOS OF 
THE COLUMBIA RIVER DELTA.  EVEN POOR EYES CAN SPOT PLANES ON THE 
RUNWAYS AND SHIPS IN DOCK.  REPORTEDLY TAKEN BY THE SOVIET HIGH 
RESOLUTION KFA-1000 CAMERA, THESE APPEAR TO BE BETTER QUALITY 
THAN EVEN S.P.O.T. PICTURES.  THE RUSSIANS WILL PUT THESE ON SALE 
SOON.

THE TYPICAL U.S. LANDSAT PICTURES ARE LIMITED TO ANYTHING 33 
YARDS (30 METRES) ON ONE SIDE.  THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL 
FIELD.  THINGS LIKE LARGE SPORTS STADIUMS SHOW UP BRIGHT AND 
CLEAR.  S.P.O.T. AND NOW THE JAPANESE MOS-1 CAN PRODUCE PICTURES 
AS SMALL AS TEN METRES PER SIDE.  THAT'S YOUR  HOUSE.  CANADA, 
WEST GERMANY, BRAZIL, INDIA AND CHINA ARE LOOKING INTO 
LAUNCHING SUCH TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR OWN USES.  THE JAPANESE 
RECENTLY CAME UP WITH A COMPUTERIZED ELECTRONIC ENHANCMENT 
PROCESS THAT  CONVERTS SUCH BLACK AND WHITE PICTURES TO COLOR, 
AND FACILITATES DETECTION OF SMALLER OBJECTS. 

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS?  A KEY ELEMENT OF ANY MILITARY 
STRATEGY IS SURPRISE --  THE SO-CALLED "FIRST STRIKE" LAUNCH.  THAT 
IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE.  YOU CAN'T MOVE 100 PEOPLE ANYMORE 
WITHOUT IT BEING KNOWN.  OR 50 TRUCKS OR TEN SHIPS.  EVEN SINGLE 
AIRCRAFT CAN BE MONITORED.  SOME DAY NEWSPAPERS WILL ROUTINELY 
PUBLISH VERY CLEAR SATELLITE PICTURES TO IMPROVE THE CONTENT OF 
THEIR NEWS STORIES.

DURING THE U.S. INVASION OF GRENADA, THE MILITARY KEPT MEDIA 
CAMERAS AWAY FROM THE TROOPS AND THE ACTION.  MUCH THE SAME 
THING HAPPENED WITH THE BRITISH IN THE FALKLANDS AND WITH THE 
U.S.S.R. IN AFGANISTAN.  NOW WITH YOUR FRIENDLY, PRIVATELY-OWNED 
"NEWS HAWK IN THE SKY",  NOTHING IS SECRET ANYMORE.  TIMES ARE 
GETTING TOUGHER FOR POLITICIANS AND THE MILITARY.

THIS PRIVATE SATELLITE BUSINESS WILL GROW  --  TO A SEVEN BILLION 
DOLLAR LEVEL BY THE THIRD MILLENNIUM, ACCORDING TO ESTIMATES 
BY A KODAK SUBSIDIARY.  THAT'S BIG BUSINESS. 

SLEEP SOUNDLY.  GOVERNMENTS NO LONGER CONTROL THE SKIES.

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