Data gathered by NASA’s SMAP satellite, which measures soil moisture, has revealed unusual activity in the radio spectrum, which has been attributed to possible military jamming techniques.
The 1.4GHz frequency band is particularly important for radio astronomy and other such specialised purposes and thus is typically clear of all but the lowest power, safety critical data systems.
The SMAP satellite listens at 1.41GHz and maps areas of interference, and as this frequency band is not usually used for high powered transmissions, any activity in this range is noteworthy.
This method could provide a simple means of monitoring and tracking geopolitical events and actions via the gathering of electronic intelligence.
