With the considerable advances made in the quality of sensors on board commercial observation satellites, information gained from them not only became widely available, but very useful for the verification of a number of arms control treaties including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (the NPT). Satellites have begun to play an important role in the safeguards procedures under the NPT. For example, from satellites, nuclear facilities and activities such as the construction and shapes of buildings (including underground activities), plant expansion, and changes in operational status can be monitored.
For an effective use of satellite imagery, it is important to determine identifiable signatures related to nuclear facilities that could be used in the interpretation and verification of activities. The book presents studies on visual and computer-based interpretation of remote sensing data for international safeguards purposes.
Tabella dei contenuti
A Key for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle.- Non-proliferation and International Nuclear Material Safeguards.- Satellite Capabilities and Orbits.- Perspectives of Satellite Imagery Analysis for Verifying the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.- Key Features of Nuclear Power Reactors.- Key Features of Nuclear Research Reactors.- Application of the #x2019;Key#x2019; to High Resolution Satellite Images.- Key Features of Enrichment & Reprocessing Plants.- Computer-based Image Analysis.- Object-based Image Analysis.- Nuclear Power Reactors.- Nuclear Research Reactors.- Image Data and Safeguards.- Detection of Changes in Images.- Concluding Remarks.