Left: Maxar WorldView Legion image showing a large object under fabric or netting at a dry dock in North Korea, acquired Sept. 10, 2024. Right: Umbra synthetic aperture radar image of the same location one day later. Credit: Maxar and Umbra
Left: Maxar WorldView Legion image showing a large object under fabric or netting at a dry dock in North Korea, acquired Sept. 10, 2024. Right: Umbra synthetic aperture radar image of the same location one day later. Credit: Maxar and Umbra

When imagery from the Worldview Legion satellites revealed fabric over a large object near a dry dock in North Korea in September, satellite operator Maxar Intelligence knew they needed help. They turned to Umbra Space, a company that focuses on synthetic-aperture radar imagery, for follow up. Umbra’s sensors are not obstructed by clouds, darkness or even thin fabrics. And so after tasking a satellite on orbit, Umbra’s team ultimately revealed what was under the netting: the outline of a submarine.

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Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco. Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She is a recipient...