meaner gene
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- Feb 11, 2017
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Amateurs Identify U.S. Spy Satellite Behind President Trump's TweetYou're an idiot trying to pretend he knows what he's talking about
Hanham says she is amazed a satellite can provide such clear imagery. Spy satellites must peer down through Earth's atmosphere, which is a bit like trying to look at objects in the bottom of a swimming pool. They also must snap their pictures while whizzing across the sky. Both effects can blur the fine details in images.
"I'm now scratching my head and curious about how they account for the effects of the atmosphere and motion of the objects," she says.
And she says she thinks she's not alone. Others will be trying to use the image to learn more about how USA 224 works. "I imagine adversaries are going to take a look at this image and reverse-engineer it to figure out how the sensor itself works and what kind of post-production techniques they're using," she says.
Hanham questions whether Trump's tweet zinging the Iranians was worth the information this image provides to other nations, but she adds: "It's his decision as the president."
![www.npr.org](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2019/09/02/26248165608_87b356a46f_o_wide-91d0743d7b00fa00f222fe2d5ec4286f9495b2a2.jpg?s=1400)
Amateurs Identify U.S. Spy Satellite Behind President Trump's Tweet
The satellite is believed to be among America's most advanced. Some believe it's as large as the Hubble Space Telescope.
![www.npr.org](https://static-assets.npr.org/static/images/favicon/favicon-96x96.png)