Satellite Command and Control
Preface
This document is dedicated to all the men and women who are involved with ensuring the national security of
the United States.
The following information was derived from these sources:
Body of Secrets by James Bamford.
Wizards of Langley by Jeffrey T. Richelson.
Top Secret Tourism by Harry Helms.
The Bureau by Ronald Kessler.
Newsweek magazine articles.
Time magazine articles.
Although I have attempted to gather and arrange the data into a comprehensive, understandable format, any errors and
omissions are mine and not attributable to
any other authors or works. This document was created prior to the reorganization of the intelligence community
following 9/11, so in many respects, it is
out-of-date.
Satellite Command and Control and Data Analysis Facilities
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)
DMSP is a consortium of civilian and DOD weather satellites that provide weather information at target areas,
worldwide.
Defense Support Program (DSP)
The DSP provides infrared (IR) imaging satellites that detect launches and nuclear detonations. This information is
relayed to NORAD (North American Air Defense
Command). Several years ago a "detonation" was detected off the southern coast of Africa, but the IR plume was later
believed to be the result of the reentry of a
small asteroid, burning up in the atmosphere.
Digital Globe
Digital Globe is a Longmont, Colorado company, formerly named Earth Watch until September 7, 2001. This company
analyzes images from Quickbird II, a DOD
high-resolution imaging satellite. This company does contract image analysis for the U.S. Government. Digital Globe
provides black and white images at 19-inch
resolution. Web page address: digitalglobe.com.
Global Security, Inc.
This is a Virginia intelligence research organization that does contract intelligence analysis for various U.S.
Government agencies. Web page address:
globalsecurity.org.
National Imaging and Mapping Agency (NIMA)
NIMA is a U.S. Government Agency formed in 1996 to provide mapping products for natural and cultural
objects.
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
The NRO is a super-secret U.S. Government Agency under NSA that is tasked with launching and controlling highly
classified satellites. Two such unnamed, highly
secret intelligence satellites were emergency launched October 1, 2001 and October 10, 2001 in the wake of the
terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on
September 11. The mission of these birds is not publicly known, but it is assumed that they were tasked to gather
intelligence from real and potential terrorism
threat nations in regard to target acquisition, secure communications, and post-action damage assessment (BDA) in
Afghanistan. The NRO maintains a reserve
of intelligence satellites that can be launched on short notice (ready-pad launches) to cover threat situations and
to replace dead satellites killed by electromagnetic
pulse (EMP) due to a ground, air, or space nuclear detonation.
North American Aerospace Command
Headquartered at Peterson Field, Colorado Springs, Colorado, NAAC operates the defense system that detects missiles
fired at the U.S. and deploys the anti-missile
missiles designed to shoot them down.
North American Air Defense Command (NORAD)
An underground facility located in Cheyenne Mountain, southwest of Colorado Springs, Colorado, NORAD is tasked to
monitor orbiting objects as well as potential
threat aircraft in US airspace.
Northcom
This is the Northern Command.
Space Imaging Corp.
Space Imaging is a private company specializing in launching and controlling high-resolution imaging satellites. The
first satellite was launched in 1999.
Space Warning Squadron
SWS gathers intercepts from satellites and forwards them to the U.S. Space Command at Schriever Air Force Base in
Colorado Springs, Colorado for disposition
throughout the U.S. Military.
US Space Command
Headquartered at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this classified unit controls about 120 DOD
satellites including those for GPS (Global
Positioning System), Defense operations, weather monitoring, and navigation.
National Command Authority (NCA)
The NCA is an amalgamation of various military commanders and civilian personnel who make high-level decisions
regarding defense.