One of these companies, Planet Labs, and many other companies providing this type of imagery, have revolutionized coverage of wars and disasters, giving the public access to high-resolution images that until recently were only available to intelligence. Agencies, Govt.
An example of this is the collection of images revealed in the first days of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Commercial satellite companies have provided some images of how the conflict is developing on the ground, making the war in Ukraine the first modern conflict in which journalists, researchers and the general public interested in this material can monitor and follow the evolution. Conflict through images with more details.
However, with the advent of a new war and Israel’s land incursion into Palestinian territory, in Gaza, the same satellite image providers became less available.
An online newspaper reports that there is an additional legal restriction on satellite photos of Israel Payload: “Under the Kyl-Bingaman Amendment (KBA) passed in the 1997 NDAA, US companies cannot release images of Israel at a higher resolution than those distributed by non-US companies.
The practice has been documented since the agency last week ordered some images of Gaza to be removed from the planet’s web application. Download Tamil of the films in question.
The company that distributes the image, now known as Satellite Images, notes that some users have been notified “During active conflicts, Planet may modify images published in the archive.”
Images provided by Planet Labs BBC via Reuters on October 15.
Advanced information of online newspaperSemaphore‘ by website subscribers carry it forward Between October 30 and November 1, the agency did not provide low- or medium-resolution images of the northern Gaza Strip, where part of the Israeli military activity is concentrated.
Two subscribers contacted through the newspaper reality They also note that since October 22, high-resolution images of Gaza have been unavailable on Planet’s web site.
Before this ban There is a wealth of testimony and documentary evidence to provide and access high-resolution images of the territory, with detailed coverage of the areas surrounding Gaza.
But now the agency is sharing only medium-resolution images of the surrounding area in rare files, and has had no low- or medium-resolution images of Gaza since Friday.
As far as films are still released, there is no restriction on films, they will appear but with a long delay.
According to Semaphore Planet and competitor, Maxar Technologies, released images shared with New York Times, Washington Post And other means of communication, but with a significant delay.
A satellite image provided by MAXAR on October 20 shows humanitarian aid trucks waiting to enter the Palestinian territory through Egypt. Photo: MAXAR via Reuters
From November 3, both newspapers shared exclusive images taken by the Planet, but dated November 1.
Airbus, another major commercial provider of satellite images, did not share images of Gaza.
According to experts familiar with the matter, what they say is the amount of detail in the report The New York TimesSince October 19, northern Gaza has been interesting with images showing Israeli tank positions.
The agency did not provide any information on why it restricted or delayed the release of images from Gaza in recent days after a request for clarification from The Planet.
But commercial satellite images of the conflict have alarmed US security officials.
A Planet spokeswoman said that while she couldn’t comment on specific users, the company is “active in all crisis response processes to better support our customers and partners, whether government, media and humanitarian organizations.”
Satellite imagery provided by MAXAR reveals the destruction wrought by Israeli artillery in the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.
Photo: Reuters via Maxar Technologies
The availability and easy access of this type of service – satellite imagery – over the Internet has added value in the field of scientific and commercial research.
With technological evolution and the entry of many private companies into the field of space business, this type of service, which was initially limited and controlled only by state and government agencies, is now easily accessible and easy to see.Like Google Earth, albeit with archival images.
But with companies like One web or Elon Musk’s Starlink proving crucial to the Ukrainian war effort – the modernization and privatization of the increasingly troubled space industry has opened the door to a new digital world through space. And among the new private companies, information is not limited to data, the visual sector is a very attractive and profitable area.
This is where PLANET and other commercial satellite image providers come in and contribute to the collection of information that allows various private, non-governmental or government agencies to collect data critical to climate control and regional governance. But for them, as for Starling, the choices also involve national security.
For example, if we remember the North American government, there were times when it welcomed the role played by these resources, such as during the pre-war period in Ukraine, in which publicly available satellite images helped to convince many skeptics of Russian invasion. , now the situation in Gaza has become very sensitive.
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