By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The US Congress has canceled Defense Department plans to buy and launch two commercial imagery satellites to fill out its network of classified spy craft, according to military and space industry officials.
House and Senate intelligence appropriations committees cut all funds for the satellite program during a conference earlier this month to work out differences in their classified 2009 bills that approve intelligence spending. They also wiped out the remaining 2008 funds. The exact amount is classified, but the program was expected to cost about $1.7 billion, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the classified information.
The Broad Area Space-Based Imagery Collection satellite system, or BASIC, was supposed to see the National Reconnaissance Office buy and launch two commercial-like satellites around 2012. The program also funded additional commercial imagery buys, according to Defense Department documents obtained last month by The Associated Press.
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