U.S. plans new spy satellite program

[unhappycamper]

U.S. plans new spy satellite program
By Anne Flaherty and Pamela Hess - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Nov 30, 2007 23:11:16 EST

The U.S. is pursuing a multibillion-dollar program to develop the next generation of spy satellites, the first major effort of its kind since the Pentagon canceled the ambitious and costly Future Imagery Architecture system two years ago, The Associated Press has learned.

The new system, known as BASIC, would be launched by 2011 and is expected to cost $2 billion to $4 billion, according to U.S. officials familiar with the program. They discussed details on condition of anonymity because the information is classified.

Photo reconnaissance satellites are used to gather visual information from space about adversarial governments and terror groups, such as construction at suspected nuclear sites or militant training camps. Satellites also can be used to survey damage from hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters.

The new start comes as many U.S. officials, lawmakers and defense experts question the high costs of satellite programs, particularly after the demise of the previous program, which wasted time and money.

The National Reconnaissance Office spent six years and billions of dollars on Future Imagery Architecture, or FIA, before deciding in September 2005 to scrap a major component of the program. Boeing, the primary contractor, had run into technical problems in the development of the electro-optical satellite and blew its budget by as much as $3 billion before the Pentagon pulled the plug, according to industry experts and government reports.

“They grossly underestimated the cost of the program,” as well as the technological feasibility of FIA, said John Pike, a space expert who heads GlobalSecurity.org. FIA “was a hallucination,” he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_spy_satellites_071130/

[ladjf]

1. Where is the Government going to store all of the data that they

are capturing? Ultimately, the entire surveillance initiative will choke on the mountains of data.