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

An open-source intelligence project is using GPS satellites to track intercontinental ballistic missiles, such as the one tested by North Korea last week

By Jeremy Hsu

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

The researchers posted an 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 disturbances in the earth’s …