Satellite tv for pc imagery is more and more utilized by open supply researchers to analyse battle,pure disasters, mining actions and even building work.
With the assistance of Planet Labs PBC and Umbra Area, Bellingcat can take a snapshot of anyplace on the earth by “tasking” their satellites to take a picture at as much as 25-centimetre decision.
Bellingcat requested you, our neighborhood, concerning the areas the place you needed to see high-resolution satellite tv for pc imagery.
A Rising Airbase in Mauritius
On LinkedIn, Bellingcat follower Muhammad Mamoom recommended imaging the Indian Air Power base on Agaléga, an island of Mauritius.
Agaléga is a small island of solely 330 residents within the Indian Ocean. A dependency of Mauritius, it’s greater than 1,100 km away from the primary island. Though solely 25 sq. kilometres, Agaléga is in a strategic geopolitical place to management choke factors of the Indian Ocean.
A 2015 memorandum of understanding between Mauritius and the Indian Armed Forces set the stage for the event of an Indian Air Power base on the island. In response to a 2021 Al Jazeera investigation, the federal government of Mauritius claimed that there’s “no settlement between Mauritius and India to arrange a navy base in Agaléga,” regardless of proof of Indian ships ferrying building provides to the small island, and the massive new runway clearly seen on satellite tv for pc imagery.
There may be native opposition to the development, and lots of Mauritians see it as a legacy of colonialism. Between 1968 and 1973 lots of of native residents had been deported from the island of Diego Garcia to make means for a joint British-American navy base.
Over the previous 4 years, the event of the airbase on Agaléga has been extremely seen on satellite tv for pc imagery. The timelapse under, courtesy of Planet Labs PBC, reveals this enlargement. Significantly notable is the massive runway that stretches nearly half the size of the island.
Timelapse of growth on Agaléga from February 2019 to September 2024. Imagery from Planet Labs PBC PlanetScope satellite tv for pc.
Within the high-resolution picture captured on August 30, 2024 by Planet Labs PBC, we will additionally see not too long ago accomplished buildings and newly paved roads, in addition to continued clearance of the vegetation surrounding the airbase.
Mauritius is a world biodiversity hotspot, residence to many endemic crops and animals. The Agaléga island day gecko is discovered nowhere else. The island can also be recognized for being the positioning of the final sighting of a dodo, maybe the world’s most well-known extinct animal.
SkySat imagery captured on August 30, 2024, by Planet Labs PBC.
Demolition and Development in Nagorno-Karabakh
Bellingcat not too long ago printed an investigation detailing the demolition of buildings and lots of of incidents of what seems to be ransacking throughout the town of Khankendi, often called Stepanakert to Armenians.
The regional capital of Nagorno-Karabakh — internationally recognised as a part of Azerbaijan — was additionally a prime requested location by the Bellingcat neighborhood. Along with the investigation, we’re publishing more moderen satellite tv for pc imagery of Khankendi/Stepanakert and the second largest city in Nagorno-Karabakh, Aghdere, recognized in Armenian as Martakert.
In Khankendi/Stepanakert, the demolition of buildings surrounding Qarabag College, the previous Artsakh State College, is clearly seen, as is the demolition of the previous Nationwide Meeting constructing. Moreover, the picture reveals the building of a brand new freeway between Khankendi and Lachin by way of Shusha, a historic mountain city to the south of Khankendi.
SkySat imagery captured on August 24, 2024, by Planet Labs PBC.
Fewer adjustments to the town of Aghdere/Martarkert are seen. To the southwest of the town, the building of a pipeline constructed to “assist the reconstruction works within the space by strengthening the gasoline provide of the area” is seen. There seems to be cleared land adjoining to the freeway going south in the direction of the town of Aghdam, the place Azerbaijan is constructing a new freeway. These initiatives underscore the depth with which Azerbaijan is integrating newly managed areas into its nationwide infrastructure.
The Demirli Copper-Molybdenum mine can be seen within the backside left of the picture. In recent times, this mine has been environmentally and politically controversial.
SkySat imagery captured on August 30, 2024, by Planet Labs PBC.
Sennar and Al Fashir in Sudan
In current months, preventing between the Speedy Help Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has intensified in Sennar State in Sudan’s southeast. Initially a paramilitary pressure managed by a faction of the Sudanese authorities, the Sudanese Armed Forces designated the RSF a insurgent group after RSF assaults on authorities websites in April final yr. Since then, the 2 forces have battled for management of the nation.
@opalrose on Bellingcat’s public Discord server requested a tasking of the state capital metropolis of Sennar.
In Planet Labs PBC SkySat imagery captured on August 31, probably the most noticeable options are agricultural flooding, a results of the unusually heavy rains that additionally precipitated a dam collapse in northwest Sudan.
North of Sennar Metropolis, what seems to be a checkpoint may be seen on Sennar Bridge.
SkySat imagery captured on August 31, 2024, by Planet Labs PBC.
Al Fashir is the biggest metropolis within the Darfur area and the final stronghold of the Sudanese Military in Darfur. Bellingcat beforehand reported on the preventing between the RSF and SAF and assaults on hospitals and the facility station. Agricultural and concrete flooding can also be seen within the metropolis, together with across the market and residential areas of the Abou Shouk internally displaced refugee camp, an space the place civilians have been focused by the Speedy Help Forces.
SkySat imagery captured on September 5, 2024, by Planet Labs PBC.
Whereas the satellite tv for pc tasking captured nearly all of the town, the northeastern a part of Al Fashir is absent, the place the Speedy Help Forces are retaining the town underneath siege and the place civilians are closely impacted.
Growth of Mines and Refugee Camps in DRC
In japanese Democratic Republic of the Congo, the armed battle between the March 23 (M23) Motion and the Congolese Armed Forces, in addition to different combatant teams, has precipitated a large-scale displacement disaster. That is seen within the imagery of the refugee camps close to Goma, the capital of North Kivu state, requested by a Bellingcat follower on X.
Satellite tv for pc imagery additionally reveals that these camps have grown considerably in dimension because the newest offensive started in March 2022.
SkySat imagery captured on August 27, 2024, by Planet Labs PBC.
There are additionally further camps to the west that aren’t seen on this satellite tv for pc picture.
Earlier this yr, the close by mining city of Rubaya was seized by M23 rebels, to manage its provide of coltan. Coltan is used to provide tantalum, a key ingredient in parts in trendy digital units, significantly smartphones. The Rubaya mines generate roughly 15% of the world’s provide of tantalum, and have turn into an essential financing supply for the combatant group, netting $300,000 month-to-month based on the UN.
Imagery requested on Bellingcat’s Discord server and captured by SkySat on August 24, 2024, reveals the mines and the mining communities which have shaped round them. Because the final excessive decision SkySat photographs in April, development and continued exploitation of the positioning are seen.
SkySat imagery captured on August 24, 2024, by Planet Labs PBC.
Kwan-li-so 25 in North Korea
North Korea operates detention and labour camps, often called kwan-li-so or kwalliso, for political prisoners of the totalitarian state. One such jail is Kwan-li-so 25, which underwent important enlargement from 2010-2013, and is believed to nonetheless be working. The satellite tv for pc imagery was requested by Bellingcat follower @pharisee.bsky.social on Bluesky.
SkySat imagery captured on August 28, 2024, by Planet Labs PBC.
Artificial Aperture Radar: Myanmar and Syria
Seen gentle satellite tv for pc imagery, which we’ve featured above, is just one sort of distant sensing. Planet’s satellites additionally seize non-visual infrared wavelengths of sunshine, and different satellites like Sentinel-2 see an excellent broader vary. These wavelengths can reveal traits past what may be seen in visible gentle, comparable to vegetation well being and soil properties.
One other essential sort of distant sensing is artificial aperture radar, or SAR imagery. As an alternative of capturing daylight reflecting off of the earth, SAR satellites bounce radio waves off of the earth and pay attention for the reflection. These black and white photographs look very completely different from seen gentle photographs, and whereas much less intuitive to interpret, they’ve some important benefits, comparable to the flexibility to seize photographs at evening and underneath cloud cowl. Due to a partnership with Umbra Area, Bellingcat additionally tasked Umbra SAR satellites on the request of two neighborhood members.
A Bellingcat follower on X requested a picture of the Myanmar border area of Homalin, the place, based on locals, unlawful gold mining has expanded in scope because the outbreak of the Myanmar civil battle in 2021. SAR imagery is very suited to this cloudy tropical area. The small pits dug by artisanal miners fill with water, and are simply seen in SAR imagery as flat black areas, in distinction to the textured rainforest that surrounds them.
SAR picture captured on August 27, 2024 by Umbra Area.
The Al Hawl refugee/detention camp in northeast Syria was requested by an nameless member of Bellingcat’s neighborhood. There are numerous girls and kids within the camp, particularly the household of ISIS fighters. Many are overseas nationals, however their jihadist ties make repatriation troublesome. Whereas ostensibly underneath the management of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led coalition that controls north-eastern Syria, ISIS cells proceed to function, recruit members, and brutally implement their management throughout the camp. In recent times ailments comparable to typhoid and tuberculosis have worsened the humanitarian state of affairs.
The SAR picture tasked by Bellingcat and captured by Umbra Area clearly reveals the extent of the camp. Within the southeast nook of the camp, the clearance of a number of of the camp annexes since early 2024 is seen, in addition to the development of a brand new annex of the camp since late 2023.
SAR picture seize on August 21, 2024 by Umbra Area.
Extra analysis by Tristan Lee.
Bellingcat is a non-profit and the flexibility to hold out our work depends on the sort assist of particular person donors. If you want to assist our work, you are able to do so right here. You can too subscribe to our Patreon channel right here. Subscribe to our E-newsletter and observe us on Instagram right here, X right here and Mastodon right here.
