Originally published in 1999, America's Space Sentinels won the American Astronautical Society's prestigious Eugene Emme Astronautical Literature Award and quickly established itself as the definitive book for understanding a crucial component of our national defense capabilities. It focused on the emergence and evolution of the Air Force's Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite system, which came on line in 1970 and continued to perform at a high level through the turn of this century and beyond. For this new edition, Jeffrey Richelson covers significant developments during the last dozen years relating to the deployment of these satellites, especially the struggles to develop and launch the follow-on Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), beginning in the late 1990s and continuing up to the present. The result is a book that remains the first and best source of information regarding these vital programs. As Richelson notes, SBIRS, like its aging but still functioning predecessor, has been designed primarily to provide instant early warning of missile launches from around the globe-particularly China, Russia, North Korea, Pakistan, India, and Iran-through the infra-red sensors carried on each satellite. But the new system-beset by hardware, software, fiscal, and political problems-has only managed to move forward in fits and starts. While it has done so, the DSP system has continued to monitor the skies above the earth; two key ground stations in Australia and Germany have closed; nuclear powers Russia and the United States conferred extensively over the so-called Y2K problem (concerned that a computer malfunction might produce false alarms of a missile attack); and worries over potential launches from nations perceived as hostile to American interests have increased substantially.

During much of the Cold War, America's first line of defense was in outer space: a network of secret satellites that could provide instant warning of an enemy missile launch. The presence of these infrared sensors orbiting 22,000 miles above the earth discouraged a Soviet first strike and stabilized international relations between the superpowers, and they now play a crucial role in monitoring the missile programs of China, India, and other emerging nuclear powers. Jeffrey Richelson has written the first comprehensive history of this vital program, tracing its evolution from the late 1950s to the present. He puts Defense Support Program operations in the context of world events - from Russian missile programs to the Gulf War - and explains how DSP's infrared sensors are used to detect meteorites, monitor forest fires, and even gather industrial intelligence by "seeing" the lights of steel mills.

The role of intelligence in US government operations has changed dramatically and is now more critical than ever to domestic security and foreign policy. This authoritative and highly researched book written by Jeffrey T. Richelson provides a detailed overview of America's vast intelligence empire, from its organizations and operations to its management structure. Drawing from a multitude of sources, including hundreds of official documents, The US Intelligence Community allows students to understand the full scope of intelligence organizations and activities, and gives valuable support to policymakers and military operations. The seventh edition has been fully revised to include a new chapter on the major issues confronting the intelligence community, including secrecy and leaks, domestic spying, and congressional oversight, as well as revamped chapters on signals intelligence and cyber collection, geospatial intelligence, and open sources. The inclusion of more maps, tables and photos, as well as electronic briefing books on the book's Web site, makes The US Intelligence Community an even more valuable and engaging resource for students.

Updated third edition: “An excellent work. . . . This history may be the best space summary currently in publication.” —Journal of Military and Strategic Studies For more than sixty years, countries have conducted military and civilian activities in space, often for competitive purposes. But they have not yet fought in this environment. This book examines the international politics of the space age from 1957 to the present, the reasons why strategic restraint emerged among the major military powers, and how recent trends toward weaponization may challenge prior norms of conflict avoidance. James Clay Moltz analyzes the competing demands of national interests in space against the shared interests of all spacefarers in preserving the safe use of space in the face of emerging threats, such as man-made orbital debris. This new edition offers analysis of the 2011 to 2018 period, including the second term of President Obama and the beginning of the Trump administration. Focusing on great power competition and cooperation, as well as questions related to the sustainability of current and future national space policies, The Politics of Space Security is an authoritative history of the space age. Praise for previous editions “Most of [this] well-written study is blessedly free from jargon . . . .a particularly valuable contribution to the space security debate, given both the wide range of the historical dimensions . . . .and the incisive quality of its analysis.” —Issues in Science and Technology “An impressive and timely contribution to security studies . . . .it is difficult to find fault with this thoughtful and comprehensive volume.” —Review of Policy Research

Volume I of the Six Volume Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, is focused on satellites and sensors including radar, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), microwave, hyperspectral, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and their applications. It discusses data normalization and harmonization, accuracies, and uncertainties of remote sensing products, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) theory and practice, crowdsourcing, cloud computing environments, Google Earth Engine, and remote sensing and space law. This thoroughly revised and updated volume draws on the expertise of a diverse array of leading international authorities in remote sensing and provides an essential resource for researchers at all levels interested in using remote sensing. It integrates discussions of remote sensing principles, data, methods, development, applications, and scientific and social context. FEATURES Provides the most up-to-date comprehensive coverage of remote sensing science. Discusses and analyzes data from old and new generations of satellites and sensors. Provides comprehensive methods and approaches for remote sensing data normalization, standardization, and harmonization. Includes numerous case studies on advances and applications at local, regional, and global scales. Introduces advanced methods in remote sensing such as machine learning, cloud computing, and AI. Highlights scientific achievements over the last decade and provides guidance for future developments. This volume is an excellent resource for the entire remote sensing and GIS community. Academics, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as practitioners, decision-makers, and policymakers, will benefit from the expertise of the professionals featured in this book, and their extensive knowledge of new and emerging trends.

The past five decades have witnessed often fierce international rivalry in space, but also surprising military restraint. Now, with an increasing number of countries capable of harming U.S. space assets, experts and officials have renewed a long-standing debate over the best route to space security. Some argue that space defenses will be needed to protect critical military and civilian satellites. Others argue that space should be a "sanctuary" from deployed weapons and military conflict, particularly given the worsening threat posed by orbital space debris. Moltz puts this debate into historical context by explaining the main trends in military space developments since Sputnik, their underlying causes, and the factors that are likely to influence their future course. This new edition provides analysis of the Obama administration's space policy and the rise of new actors, including China, India, and Iran. His conclusion offers a unique perspective on the mutual risks militaries face in space and the need for all countries to commit to interdependent, environmentally focused space security.