The law forces the commercial operators to turn off the imaging when the satellites are over sensitive areas. And one supposes that the French government may have some hold on SPOT imagery if it is thought to be detrimental to French interests. News agencies are fighting this restriction. Whether they succeed or not, shutter control is a hot issue today. Satellite reconnaissance is today a military tool of only wealthy and developed countries.
Critics claim that such reconnaissance capability can be a boone to aggresive nations.
The rapidly falling cost of satellite technology means that it may now be practical, from a technical and economic standpoint, for the United Nations to procure and operate a true Open Skies satellite reconnaissance system. Whether it can do so from a political standpoint is another matter. This article addresses only the technical issues involved. Not only has litesat technology led to a situation where such a system may now be feasible, two other technologies have developed to a point that they could aid such an effort. Amateur astronomy has long been a popular hobby.