Several governments have spy satellites in orbit tracking us, so why not focus our cameras on the spy satellites? Citizens can spy on the governments who spy on citizens. Modern technology makes it possible to track how they are tracking us. And it is an exercise in freedom to determine just how it is we are being tracked by the government.
The satellites are visible from the ground, and using a "telescope" we can capture some details.
Of course there are plenty of satellites that can be photographed, not just spy satellites. The task of photographing any of these satellites is the same. You determine the orbital path of the object you're interested in, and get the equipment to track that orbital path, and finally connect a camera to that equipment to take pictures.
A telescope image of the Space Station transiting the Sun - Source: Vice Motherboard
Using a joystick to control aiming a telescope - Source: Vice Motherboard
The Man Who Hunts Spy Satellites
We went to Paris to interview premier astrophotographer, Thierry Legault, about tracking spy satellites in the sky. It's a story of mutual surveillance, adept tracking and ultimately one man's quest to do "things that nobody has done before."
About the Author(s)
David Herron:
David Herron is a writer and software engineer focusing on the wise use of technology. He is especially interested in clean energy technologies like solar power, wind power, and electric cars. David worked for nearly 30 years in Silicon Valley on software ranging from electronic mail systems, to video streaming, to the Java programming language, and has published several books on Node.js programming and electric vehicles.
