In the battlefield, the visibility of military operations for the summit is very valuable asset, but it is not always available, especially in remote areas. US military will a new eye in the sky around the problem by providing soldiers. The eye in the sky is a small, low-cost nano-satellites, which can provide voice, data transmission, and even visual perception.

The service provider is the technology center's Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), which has been developed and tested to provide voice and data nano satellites, called SMCD-ONE (nano-satellite orbit effect). Meanwhile, the department is also being developed with nano-satellites can work the same imaging satellite.

SMCD-ONE has been placed in its tracks, while technology centers are being planned for this year an additional launch three satellites, launch in 2016 a number of undetermined number. This week the Ministry of Defence laboratory Japan, a senior scientist at the Centre Aerospace Science and Industry's Taylor said, "This is a space-based mobile phone towers, but it is not a mobile phone service, but for the army radio service."

The satellite was placed in a rectangular box about one foot, you can connect the sensor front-line combat infantry base and the region. The development of the satellite 杜克姆 military technology company, said: "Since 2008, the satellite is in orbit design requirements continue to run for a year or longer, and each satellite is not cost more than 35,000 US dollars in military technology companies. delivered in 2009, eight satellites to SMDC, earlier than the current track testing.

SMCD-ONE nano satellites can be added to a larger space in imaging satellites (but is still considered a nano-satellites), the first of which is the Army plans to launch in February from the International Space Station flight tests. The satellite has not yet been named, it has a 2 to 3 meters of ground resolution, the resolution is sufficient to identify a tank or truck. Taylor said, "This is not the military's capability now. The reason it requires some manual work because the imaging satellites can only handle one picture at a time." Taylor said for example, in the case of battlefield captain priority given to the request, a request near the base image, the satellite is about to complete the processing of an image in one minute.

Although it is in the verification phase, but Taylor hopes to complete all the galaxies test image scanning success. "If we put 5-12 satellites in orbit, it will cover most of the combat zone, and to provide them with real-time clock communication." The key issue of the project is a satellite location, LEO satellites will be nano-satellite will not be launched separately, but will take a big satellite has been deployed in orbit. Because host its orbit satellites, which can not guarantee the nano satellite to the correct position, and SMDC a small plastic device designed to act as the engine. This engine is actually a rocket engine, plastic printers manufactured by internal nitric oxide is a liquid and the coil. When the ignition coil ignition, nitric oxide combustion of plastic rocket fuel, it will have a good performance rocket engine.