<p>The project, named HiROS, envisions the construction of an undetermined number of high-resolution observation satellites capable of spotting any object on the planet down to a size of just 50 centimetres, according to classified cables from US embassy in Berlin leaked to WikiLeaks and obtained by Norwegian daily Aftenposten.<br /><br />The satellites will have the capacity to take infrared images at night and to send images much quicker back to earth than the satellites currently in service, the cables showed.<br />Due to the controversial nature of the programme, US and German officials have decided it should be presented as a civilian project with environmental aims, run by commercial entities.<br /><br />But in reality it is "under the total control" of the German intelligence service BND and the German aerospace centre DLR, the cables showed.<br /><br />A DLR spokesman today denied HiROS, which stands for High Resolution Optical Satellite System, was a spy satellite.<br /><br />"The purpose of HiRos will be to transmit data for public services, for example for crisis management in natural catastrophes," Andreas Schuetz told AFP in an email.<br />"HiROS is not a spy satellite nor a secret project," he said.<br /><br />The US embassy cables quoted in Norwegian by Aftenposten cover a period from February 2009 to February 2010.<br />They also show that some countries, "especially France," have tried to stop the project by every means possible.<br /><br />The opposition from Paris however appears to have been brushed aside by German officials, who according to the cables, said they were sick of being "outmanoeuvred by France."<br /><br />"Absolutely no cooperation is planned with France or any other EU country when it comes to the HiROS project," DLR executive Andreas Eckart was quoted as saying.<br /><br />According to Aftenposten, the satellites would cost an estimated USD 274 million and were scheduled to enter service between 2012 and 2013.<br /><br />Officially, France and Germany are involved in the common Multinational Space-based Imaging System (MUSIS), along with Belgium, Spain, Greece and Italy.<br /><br />Contacted by AFP, the US embassy in Oslo refused to comment on any information emerging from the some 250,000 US diplomatic cables leaked to whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.<br /><br />The German and French governments have also refused to comment.</p>
<p>The project, named HiROS, envisions the construction of an undetermined number of high-resolution observation satellites capable of spotting any object on the planet down to a size of just 50 centimetres, according to classified cables from US embassy in Berlin leaked to WikiLeaks and obtained by Norwegian daily Aftenposten.<br /><br />The satellites will have the capacity to take infrared images at night and to send images much quicker back to earth than the satellites currently in service, the cables showed.<br />Due to the controversial nature of the programme, US and German officials have decided it should be presented as a civilian project with environmental aims, run by commercial entities.<br /><br />But in reality it is "under the total control" of the German intelligence service BND and the German aerospace centre DLR, the cables showed.<br /><br />A DLR spokesman today denied HiROS, which stands for High Resolution Optical Satellite System, was a spy satellite.<br /><br />"The purpose of HiRos will be to transmit data for public services, for example for crisis management in natural catastrophes," Andreas Schuetz told AFP in an email.<br />"HiROS is not a spy satellite nor a secret project," he said.<br /><br />The US embassy cables quoted in Norwegian by Aftenposten cover a period from February 2009 to February 2010.<br />They also show that some countries, "especially France," have tried to stop the project by every means possible.<br /><br />The opposition from Paris however appears to have been brushed aside by German officials, who according to the cables, said they were sick of being "outmanoeuvred by France."<br /><br />"Absolutely no cooperation is planned with France or any other EU country when it comes to the HiROS project," DLR executive Andreas Eckart was quoted as saying.<br /><br />According to Aftenposten, the satellites would cost an estimated USD 274 million and were scheduled to enter service between 2012 and 2013.<br /><br />Officially, France and Germany are involved in the common Multinational Space-based Imaging System (MUSIS), along with Belgium, Spain, Greece and Italy.<br /><br />Contacted by AFP, the US embassy in Oslo refused to comment on any information emerging from the some 250,000 US diplomatic cables leaked to whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.<br /><br />The German and French governments have also refused to comment.</p>