U.S. Army starts testing of its Kestrel Eye optical microsatellite

The U.S. solider out in the battlefield will soon be able to download satellite images of the surrounding thanks to a micro-satellite being tested in space right now.


Managed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT), the Kestrel Eye microsatellite is about the size of dorm refrigerator and was deployed from the International Space Station on Oct. 25.

The service hopes to field a constellation of Kestrel Eyes so that tactical commanders at the brigade level or lower will be able to 1.5-meter resolution satellite imagery within minutes from anywhere in the world.