In a courtroom battle, having the right kind of evidence can help ensure that justice is served. Photographs are often an excellent way to shed light on the truth.
With this in mind, two men have taken the notion of photographic evidence to the next level by opening up a space detective agency, whose sole mission is to keep a bird's eye view of happenings on the ground and document them.
Raymond Harris, a satellite imaging specialist, and Raymond Purdy, a space lawyer, launched Air & Space Evidence, the first space detective agency in the world. By combining their experience in space-based imaging and privacy laws, the two aim to promote the use of authentic images that would stand up in court.
However, anyone can simply access Google Earth. Isn't it essentially the same thing?
Yes and no. It's true that anyone can turn to Google Earth for satellite images. However, one can't use just any image in court if photographic proof is intended to be used as decisive evidence.
Satellite imaging databases have such massive amounts of data; finding the right photo takes real effort. There's also the issue of authenticity. Trials have collapsed because the authenticity of an image couldn't be proved.
Purdy said their space detective agency can avoid all that trouble.
For starters, the pair already know their way around commissioning satellite images, working with satellite image suppliers and featuring auditing trails that would hold up to any scrutiny.
"Because it is always possible to modify a digital image, you need strong archiving procedures plus information on when it was captured and what happened to it subsequently. We know how to do that," Harris explained.
In the event that images with higher resolutions are needed, such as in checking for license plates or ensuring that a car is in a certain location as claimed, the space detective agency plans to utilize drones, where privacy and local aviation laws will allow it.
Paul Champion, a governor at the Association of British Investigators, admits the idea of a space detective agency is fascinating. He adds that it is an innovative idea and investigators can benefit from being able to identify events based on before and after images from satellites.
A space detective agency sounds extremely fancy. Does that mean it's going to cost a lot to work with them? According to Harris, not really. Turning to reliable satellite imaging for a lawsuit should cost about the same as having a house surveyed.
