Improving Satellite Monitoring of Armed Conflicts

Abstract

Very‐high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery is increasingly used to visualize the effects of armed conflicts in near‐real time. Yet these data, typically commercial, are generally released selectively or for a fee, impeding scientific and humanitarian applications. Such images also tend to focus on cities or infrastructure, obscuring the effects of war in rural or sparsely populated areas such as forests. To leverage VHR imagery for improved and more holistic conflict monitoring, we call for (a) archiving VHR images for scientific and humanitarian use; (b) producing analysis‐ready, conflict‐wide VHR mosaics to harmonize monitoring; and (c) forming a sustainably funded public VHR satellite program. International coordination on such a satellite could also support the transformation of VHR Earth observation (EO) data into a public good. Taking these three steps promises to revolutionize conflict monitoring, much in the way that opening access to lower‐resolution EO data has stimulated new discoveries about the planet's ecosystems and human impacts. Broadening and standardizing access to and analysis of archived VHR imagery may improve understandings of war, empower and refine responses, and potentially, mitigate future conflicts.

Over Fences and Into Yards: Privacy Threats and Concerns of Commercial Satellites

“…Many geographers support democratization efforts, such as aiding in armed conflicts [9] and scientific research [66]. The Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) [17] recommends that "the U.S. government should declare the space domain as a public space and the ability to conduct [imaging from space] as the equivalent of taking photos of public activities on a public street" [16].…”

“…68% respondents most agreed with Statement 2, that access to satellite imagery should cost money and depend on the use case, which is the common-practice today. Only 12% agreed with making imagery widely available; this low agreement with Statement 1 goes against movements from the geography field to increase image access [9,16,17,66]. The remaining 20% didn't want commercial satellites to be allowed at all, either choosing that only the U.S. government should have access or no one should have access.…”

Toward the remote monitoring of armed conflicts

“…High spatial resolution images, such as those in clusters 1 and 2, become very expensive if an organization tasks a constellation to cover a specific area frequently with newly acquired imagery. For example, according to estimates in ( 2 , p 1), weekly high spatial resolution imagery covering all of Ukraine would add up to approximately USD 707 million per year. Archival images are much cheaper, and in some instances, satellite providers offer free access to images for research purposes.…”

“…Far less intrusive than other forms of remote sensing, such as cameras mounted on drones, satellites often provide the only means to gather objective data from hard-to-access war zones even if such data only provides snapshots at a particular time. The war in Ukraine has pushed the role of satellite imagery in armed conflicts into the spotlight ( 2 ). Images of the buildup of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border in the lead-up to the Russian invasion triggered alarm bells in military headquarters ( 3–6 ) but were also featured in mainstream media [e.g.…”

Detecting Vietnam War Bomb Craters in Declassified Historical KH-9 Satellite Imagery

“…Remote sensing data can provide a valuable alternative data source where bombing records are unavailable or inaccurate (Bennett et al, 2022). used recent, very high resolution (< 1 m) satellite imagery to detect bomb craters from the Vietnam War in Cambodian agricultural land.…”