Nice Missile You Got There: New Tools for Nuclear Data Journalism at Planet
Nice Missile You Got There: New Tools for Nuclear Data Journalism at Planet
- Registration fee: $25 (happy hour reception included)
- Organizer: Devon Terrill, The Stanley Foundation
- Sponsored by:The Stanley Foundation, The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and Planet
NOTE: Start and end times given for field trips are the times when the trips depart from and return to the Marriott Marquis San Francisco.
Curious what North Korea is doing with its missile and nuclear programs? Take a trip to Planet to see how high-frequency satellite imagery and open source intelligence are capturing an ever more detailed picture of what countries are doing with the world’s deadliest weapons––and where.
Operating the largest fleet of satellites in the world, Planet continuously captures images of Earth’s entire land surface on a daily basis, creating rich datasets that are reshaping the way we track and report everything from environmental changes to geopolitical events, including nuclear weapon developments. Nonproliferation analysts can parse satellite imagery and propaganda photos to 3D model missiles, estimate their range and geo-locate facilities. Analysis can lead to conclusions using hints as seemingly trivial as Kim Jong-Un’s coat.
The field trip to Planet will include a simulation of mission control and a presentation from Planet staff and experts from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) describing how satellite imagery, 3D modeling, and data analysis can be used to report on critical international security developments. The trip will also feature journalists’ expertise on how to use satellite imagery and open source analysis in their reporting on nuclear-related stories.
A happy hour reception will follow the program to allow journalists to interact with Planet staff and CNS analysts.
Journalists can expect the trip to explore questions like:
- What can analysts and journalists do with high frequency satellite imagery and the datasets it can generate?
- Where is this technology heading and how might these evolving tools influence the way the world controls the spread of its deadliest weapons?
- How can journalists effectively interact with open source nonproliferation experts?
- How can you tell between credible open source intelligence and spin in a “fake news” era?
Attendees must submit name, nationality, and affiliation for a background check and sign a non-disclosure agreement. Pre-registration and signed NDAs must be completed and returned to Planet by Wednesday, October 25th.
Featured image: Orbiting camera, courtesy Planet Labs.