“Is there a replacement?”
Even the satellite tech we had contemporaneous with the Blackbird’s last decade was a very decent stand-in. What we have in orbit these days, I don’t precisely know, but sensor and imaging tech have come a long ways further.
Wouldn’t surprise me if they can point Hubble wherever they want, as well.
BTW there is little difference between the Hubble and the KH-13.
Hubble wouldn’t be useful to spy on earth. That would be like using a telescope to look for your keys.
Even the satellite tech we had contemporaneous with the Blackbird’s last decade was a very decent stand-in. What we have in orbit these days, I don’t precisely know, but sensor and imaging tech have come a long ways further.
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Back then we could look over the shoulder of a Russian reading the paper and what he was reading and if he was hat-less count his hairs.
Perhaps they can point Hubble any way they want, but its focal length is too long to do Earth surface observations, not to mention the incredible time and scheduling demands from legitimate users.
“We have ways.” I don’t have current need to know. The Spratly Islands are about 50 miles off the Philippines coast (Palawan), and at least 350 miles from mainland China. Nations closer to the Spratly Islands than mainland China include: the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.
National capitols closer than Beijing include: Manila, Bandar Sen Begawan, Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Vientaine, Bangkok, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lampur, Jakarta, Naypyitaw, Dhaka, Seoul, Thimphu, and Kathmandu. So really, 15 countries have a better claim to the Spratly Islands than do the Chinese. Of course, none has a larger navy or air force.