Meanwhile in Russia...

[sniper7]

Sensors change but optics doesn't. There's a limit to what kind of resolvable image you can get based on the primary aperture of the telescope. Yes, you can compensate for atmospheric distortion using deformable mirrors but that usually requires something like a laser guidestar. You can do subpixel processing but that usually requires extended image integration which is pretty tricky given the satellite motion. Bottom line, I might buy the satellite could see the expiration sticker on your plate but I don't buy it can produce a resolvable image allowing you to read the sticker.

So why can you believe it can see the sticker but not be able to produce an image of the sticker with clarity. And what's to stop optics from improving...are we at the ultimate limit? I honestly don't know a lot of details or facts/figures of satellites or optics/imagery, but I don't doubt we have the technology to see clear images of small objects from space. It's not like it's really that inconceivable of a notion.

[HoneyBadger]

So why can you believe it can see the sticker but not be able to produce an image of the sticker with clarity. And what's to stop optics from improving...are we at the ultimate limit? I honestly don't know a lot of details or facts/figures of satellites or optics/imagery, but I don't doubt we have the technology to see clear images of small objects from space. It's not like it's really that inconceivable of a notion.

As I said previously, the optical physics, combined with building and launch constraints are what limit us. It is absolutely possible, but it would require an absolutely huge focal length, which means a huge and extremely heavy satellite, which means an extremely costly to build and costlier to launch satellite (I don't even know if anyone in the world has a launch capability to launch a satellite of the size and weight we are talking about). Assuming it is technically feasible to get that kind of resolution from LEO, it's really not a good cost/benefit analysis either when you can put up 1 $20M drone which can give us great resolution and is easy to reprogram, repair, update, etc, vs a $10B satellite that is impractical to repair, operates in much harsher conditions, and offers very little tactical, operational, or strategic advantage over a drone.