US-USSR Space Rivalry: The History of Satellite Imagery Evolution

The rivalry between the USA and the USSR in space opened up new opportunities for humanity. In particular, in the area of ​​satellite photography of the Earth, which is now carried out with the highest resolution, capable of distinguishing objects up to one meter in size.

At the same time, the history of satellite photography begins with the first photograph of our planet from space, taken by the Americans in 1946.



Back then, everything was surprisingly primitive: a camera was attached to a German V2 rocket, which rose to its maximum altitude, and after the fall, its film was preserved thanks to a steel container.

Later, already in the 1960s, the US launched the Corona program to observe secret Soviet and Chinese facilities from orbit via satellites. These devices were equipped with large-sized cameras about one and a half meters long and contained up to four kilometers of film.

The devices operated without a stabilization system, which limited their capabilities: pictures were taken only when the lens accidentally pointed at Earth.

The program's special feature was the system of delivering the footage: the cassettes with the exposed film were shot, dropped by parachute, and were caught in the air by special US Air Force aircraft. If this failed, the containers fell into the ocean, where military ships tried to catch them. In case of failure, the film automatically dissolved under the influence of salt water, so that the secret materials would not fall into the wrong hands.

In turn, the USSR did not remain on the sidelines and in 1962 sent the Zenit satellite into orbit. Its design was based on the manned spacecraft Vostok, on which Yuri Gagarin made his historic flight.

Portholes were cut into the body of the device specifically for filming, and the entire satellite, including the expensive one, was returned to Earth. machinery, which made the process more economicalLater, Soviet cosmonauts also took photographs from orbital stations, which expanded the possibilities for observing the Earth.

Ultimately, the technology race between the two countries led to rapid advances in equipment. Cameras became more compact and the resolution of images increased.

A significant achievement was the creation of the first satellite, which transmitted images via radio in 1972. This American device, known as Landsat, opened the era of digital photography from space. The images began to be used not only for military purposes, but also for peaceful purposes: for mapping, weather monitoring, mineral exploration, and other tasks.

Finally, it is worth noting that the aforementioned race has led to impressive results in this industry, which we see today. If Landsat could distinguish objects no smaller than 80 meters, then modern satellites have a resolution of up to one meter. And this is according to official data.