Why Not A Border Control Satellite?
By Linda Thom

The recent destruction of a dead spy-satellite by a U.S. missile caused talking heads and leaders of other countries to speculate about the reasons. The U.S. maintains that the falling satellite might have caused harm to people and property. Some foreign leaders assert that the U.S. merely used the destruction of the satellite to practice its missile-defense capability.

Or perhaps the U.S. wanted to ensure that the high-technology equipment aboard the satellite would not fall into the hands of others.

No matter the reason, one cannot help but be mighty impressed by the technology—an infrared-detector-guided missile shooting down a fast-moving, cold satellite.

Besides the military uses of infrared technology, many peaceful uses exist. Infrared sensors pick up heat differences and can create images from them. For example, the U.S. Landsat satellites and others can create spectacular photos of earth and also help with weather forecasting and ocean-temperature monitoring. Infrared sensors can be used to locate hot spots which still exist in buildings and forests after major fires are controlled. All over the world, infrared telescopes scan the heavens at night.

Photos of rivers and bays can show the source of water pollution because clean and polluted water looks different in an infrared image. Infrared images from satellites or airplanes can check for disease or insect infestation in crop lands and forests. Infrared sensors can be used to detect autos which are emitting high levels of pollutants.

Many may remember the advertisements about a “Heads-Upâ€