By Cassell Bryan-Low and Joey Roulette
WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) – California-based Planet Labs has expanded access restrictions to its Middle East imagery to prevent adversaries from using it to attack the United States and its allies, in a sign of how the expansion of commercial space operations affects conflict.
Planet, which operates a fleet of Earth-imaging satellites and sells frequently updated images to governments, companies and media, told customers on Monday it would extend the limit to 14 days from a four-day delay last week.
A Planet spokesperson told Reuters in a statement that the move was temporary and was “in order to limit the uncontrolled dissemination of images that could lead to the images being inadvertently accessed and used as tactical leverage by hostile actors.”
“This conflict is dynamic and unique in many ways, so Planet is taking strong steps to ensure that our imagery does not in any way contribute to attacks against allied and NATO personnel and civilians,” the spokesperson said.
Some space experts say Iran could acquire commercial imagery, including through other U.S. adversaries.
space war arena
From identifying targets, guiding weapons, tracking missiles, and communicating, the military relies on space for everything. U.S. officials said last week that their space force was among the “first movers” in action against Iran, a sign of the central role space plays in modern warfare.
A spokesman for U.S. Space Command declined to provide details about the capabilities it uses. Space Command is responsible for helping missile tracking, secure communications and monitoring U.S. and joint forces on the ground using Pentagon satellites.
While high-quality satellite imagery was once the preserve of advanced space powers, the use of commercial satellite imagery has leveled the playing field, as Ukraine experienced during its war with Russia. Now, satellite operators are deploying artificial intelligence to help speed up the ability to analyze images and identify areas of interest.
“This kind of expert analysis used to be the preserve of high-end military analysts, but that’s no longer the case,” said Chris Moore, a defense industry consultant and retired Air Force Lieutenant General in the British military.
“Ultimately it will create an all-seeing eye from space that will make concealment and deception of military power difficult to achieve.”
(Reporting by Cassell Bryan-Low in London and Joey Roulette in Washington; Editing by Joe Brock and Stephen Coates)
