When other countries launch spy satellites the mission is top secret and hardly anyone knows about it. So I had a bit of a shock on Thursday when I was walking past a TV in the cafeteria at work and noticed a news ticker stating “ISRO launched spy satellite successfully†on screen. I had a good laugh about it with the folks I was with and then promptly forgot about it. However yesterday I was looking at the election news and ended up at the following Economic times article: “ISRO launches ‘cloud-proof’ earth observation spy satellite RISAT-2B to keep an eye on Pakistan†which reminded me about the launch so I just had to post about it.
If we are advertising our spy satellite launches then we are giving foreign assets enough information to figure out the orbit and timings where the satellite would be over head (unless it was in a geo-stationary orbit) giving them the ability to hide activity from them. For example when the Pokhran test was done it 1997 it was a surprise for the US in spite of the massive satellite coverage US has because we had a mapping of when each of the satellites pass over India allowing india to build up preparations over months so as not to indicate any sudden heightening of activity and performing critical jobs during satellite “blind” periods when they are beyond the reach of Pokhran.
Now by announcing the launch we are making it easier for other countries like Pakistan to duplicate this feat. Since they know the launch details it makes it easier to track the orbit of the payload and narrow down the search for the satellite if they didn’t locate it when it was released in orbit.
Press freedom is well and good but I don’t think it makes sense to announce such news to the world.
– Suramya