Chapter 21 Quiz: Satellite Imagery and Remote Sensing
Instructions: Choose the best answer for multiple choice questions. For short-answer questions, write 2–4 sentences unless otherwise specified.
1. The Corona satellite program was developed primarily in response to which event?
a) The Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957 b) The shootdown of a U-2 spy plane over the Soviet Union in 1960 c) The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 d) The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962
2. How did the Corona satellites return photographic imagery to Earth?
a) By transmitting digital image files via radio signal to ground stations b) By physically ejecting film canisters that were recovered mid-air by aircraft c) By landing the satellite's film compartment in designated ocean zones d) By parachuting the film capsule to a designated recovery team
3. What was the primary significance of the KH-11 satellite, first launched in 1976?
a) It was the first satellite to achieve sub-meter resolution imagery b) It introduced digital imaging sensors that transmitted data electronically, eliminating film recovery c) It was the first satellite to operate in a geosynchronous orbit for persistent coverage d) It was the first satellite declassified for civilian scientific research
4. Which company pioneered the "constellation approach" to commercial satellite imagery — launching hundreds of small, cheaper satellites to achieve daily global coverage?
a) DigitalGlobe b) Maxar Technologies c) Planet Labs d) Space Imaging
5. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is valuable for intelligence and environmental monitoring primarily because:
a) It produces imagery with dramatically higher resolution than optical satellites b) It can operate through cloud cover and at night, regardless of weather or lighting c) It is significantly cheaper to build and operate than optical imaging satellites d) Its imagery can identify individual human faces at altitudes above 500 km
6. The term "revisit rate" in satellite operations refers to:
a) The frequency with which a satellite is repositioned to a new orbit b) How often satellite imagery is reviewed by human analysts c) The frequency with which a satellite or constellation images a specific location d) The interval between satellite calibration and maintenance operations
7. Which of the following is NOT a capability of InSAR (Interferometric SAR)?
a) Measuring ground deformation at centimeter precision b) Detecting subsidence associated with groundwater extraction c) Identifying the faces of individuals present at a specific location d) Tracking horizontal movement associated with earthquake activity
8. Bellingcat's investigation of the MH17 shootdown used satellite imagery in combination with:
a) Classified government signals intelligence and intercepted communications b) Social media posts, video analysis, and open-source databases c) Testimony from eyewitnesses recruited through a public awareness campaign d) Access to proprietary radar tracking data from European air traffic control
9. The "shutter control" provision in U.S. commercial satellite regulation refers to:
a) The required resolution limits imposed on all commercial imaging satellites b) The authority of the government to require commercial operators to cease imaging specific areas c) The technical system that controls image collection to prevent overheating of sensors d) The licensing requirement that limits which companies can operate imaging satellites
10. According to the chapter's discussion of the Florida v. Riley (1989) Supreme Court decision, what principle was established that is relevant to satellite imagery?
a) Aerial observation of a location visible from navigable airspace does not constitute a search requiring a warrant b) Government surveillance satellites must obtain judicial authorization before imaging private property c) Commercial satellites are required to blur residential areas to protect Fourth Amendment rights d) Evidence obtained from aerial surveillance is inadmissible in federal criminal proceedings
11. The chapter describes the Orbital Insight company's method of estimating global oil reserves using satellite imagery. What technique do they use?
a) Spectroscopic analysis of the atmospheric signature above oil storage facilities b) Measuring the shadow inside floating-roof tanks, which indicates fill level c) Counting tanker ships in transit and modeling their likely origin and destination d) Analyzing heat signatures from refineries to estimate production volumes
12. What is the key critique the chapter raises about the "but no one is looking at me specifically" response to satellite surveillance concerns?
a) Human analysts at satellite companies actively review all collected imagery for suspicious activity b) AI algorithms can process imagery automatically, flagging crowd gatherings or repeated vehicle patterns without individual human review c) Satellites are specifically programmed to collect additional imagery of locations that appear in news reports d) Insurance companies have contracts requiring satellite operators to flag specific addresses for monitoring
13. How does the chapter characterize the relationship between satellite imagery used for environmental accountability (documenting deforestation) and satellite imagery used for human surveillance (monitoring protests)?
a) They are distinct applications with separate regulatory frameworks that prevent overlap b) They are produced by different types of satellites with incompatible technical specifications c) They run on the same infrastructure, using the same imagery from the same satellites d) Environmental imagery is covered by open-access laws, while surveillance imagery is strictly regulated
14. The chapter's SARI framework for evaluating satellite imagery evidence includes which four elements?
a) Satellite, Aperture, Resolution, Interpretation b) Source, Age, Resolution, Interpretation c) Sensor, Analysis, Range, Infrastructure d) Specification, Authenticity, Review, Inference
15. Which of the following best describes the current state of international law governing satellite remote sensing and privacy?
a) The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 includes strong privacy protections for people photographed without consent b) UN COPUOS has established binding regulations requiring satellite operators to blur residential areas c) There is effectively no international law constraining what a satellite can photograph regardless of whose territory is imaged d) The GDPR's privacy provisions have been successfully extended to apply to all commercial satellite imagery of EU citizens
16. Short Answer: Explain what the "dual-use" nature of satellite surveillance technology means, using one specific example from the chapter. Why does dual-use create a governance challenge that simple prohibition cannot solve?
17. Short Answer: The chapter argues that consent is "structurally impossible" in satellite surveillance — not just practically difficult but architecturally excluded. Explain this argument in your own words. Do you find it convincing? Why or why not?
18. Essay (300 words): Jordan's encounter with Google Earth leads them from nostalgia (looking at their childhood home) to critical awareness (recognizing the prison expansion and its implications). Using Jordan's experience as an entry point, discuss how the normalization of satellite surveillance has been achieved. Why do most people not experience satellite imagery as a form of surveillance? What would have to change — technically, legally, or culturally — for people to perceive it as such?
Answer Key available in Appendix B — Answers to Selected Exercises.