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The U.K.’s dorm-fridge-size TopSat spy satellite can’t match the high-resolution images of the U.S.’s hugely expensive Crystal sats, but the future of space-based Earth observation may in fact belong to these wee birds. The reason is simple: Mini satellites are cheap, permitting the use of many satellites over larger areas. Created for the British Ministry of Defence and the National Space Centre by QinetiQ and Surrey Satellite Technology, the prototype 265-pound TopSat began sending usable spy images last December. A new folded-optics camera—which uses mirrors and lenses to cram long focal lengths into a compact space—delivers nine-foot resolution, enough to distinguish between a car and a truck, but future versions will be able to identify specific vehicles. British defense planners think the TopSat’s descendants will be the sharpest eyes in a large future flock of small, inexpensive satellites. sstl.co.uk, qinetiq.com
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