Egypt is about to launch a spy satellite:
Egypt will be able to spy on Israel from outer space if it successfully launches a new spy satellite Tuesday from Kazakhstan. The cameras on the EgyptSat 1 vehicle will be able to transmit photographs of objects four meters (13 feet) wide.
I guess they’re trying to keep track of Rami Lakah.
Updated since 15 Jan: Apparently the satellite will be used for remote sensing — officially at least.
while this is very good news for Egypt, Saudi Arabia with Qatar and UAE are planning to buy a 0.50 meters resolution satellite for military purposes. The Egyptian satellite is not military, it is scientific earth observation satellite. Currently, you can get 0.61 meters resolution for any area if you have a credit card.
Given the ready availability of commercial satellite imagery, I wonder whether a government which cannot supply its citizens with glass for the windows of their elementary schools or clean gauze for their emergency rooms, but which decides to buy its very own satellite, hasn’t got its priorities a little askew.