Marketplace All-in-One How commercial satellites are defining modern warfare
Jun 25, 2025
Mariel Borowitz, an associate professor at Georgia Tech and an expert in space policy, discusses the transformative role of commercial satellites in modern warfare. She highlights how satellite images of conflict zones, like Iranian nuclear sites, mark a shift from government reliance to commercial sources. The conversation explores Ukraine's use of advanced remote sensing for intelligence during the Russia-Ukraine war. Additionally, Borowitz delves into the growing impact of companies like Planet Labs and the challenges of interpreting satellite data in military contexts.
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Commercial Satellites Boost Ukraine's War Effort
- Commercial satellites gave Ukraine superior imagery capabilities over Russia by leveraging many U.S. and European companies.
- These satellites offer high resolution and frequent revisits, enhancing battlefield awareness rapidly.
Different Satellite Capabilities Explained
- Different types of commercial satellites provide varied capabilities, like radar to see at night or through clouds.
- Large constellations enable revisiting the same location frequently, improving monitoring of changes.
Specialized Satellite Functions
- Companies operate satellites with unique functions like synthetic aperture radar and radio spectrum monitoring.
- These provide global access to surveillance data unavailable by other means.