1.0Gizmodo Australiahttps://gizmodo.com.auAndrew Tarantolahttps://gizmodo.com.au/author/andrewtarantola-usa/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="PZPGttJlS4"><a href="https://gizmodo.com.au/2013/04/giz-explains-how-the-us-built-its-super-secret-spy-satellite-program/">Giz Explains: How The US Built Its Super-Secret Spy Satellite Program</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://gizmodo.com.au/2013/04/giz-explains-how-the-us-built-its-super-secret-spy-satellite-program/embed/#?secret=PZPGttJlS4" width="600" height="338" title="“Giz Explains: How The US Built Its Super-Secret Spy Satellite Program” — Gizmodo Australia" data-secret="PZPGttJlS4" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); </script> https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/25/original.jpg?quality=75960540Ethics aside, espionage is an indispensable part of statecraft. The Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) information gathered helps steer national policy decisions for everything from mundane trade negotiations to the blackest of ops.