A volunteer project used GPS to detect a North Korean missile test

An open-source intelligence project uses GPS satellites to track intercontinental ballistic missiles, like the one North Korea tested last week

By Jeremy Hsu

GPS satellites could be used as a global surveillance system to detect intercontinental ballistic missiles. The principle was demonstrated last week when researchers identified atmospheric disturbances caused by North Korea’s largest intercontinental missile test to date in satellite data.

The researchers published a animation showing their detection on Twitter – a big moment for an open-source intelligence project that has worked to detect missile and rocket launches for the past two years. Volunteers have developed computer software to detect earth disturbances…