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The highest resolution images we know are possible in theory max out at around the 10cm level due to atmospheric effects. It seems we can get quite close to this with the big spy satellites the Hubble Space Telescope was based on. Fortunately we have a really great example available to examine.

https://www.npr.org/2019/08/30/755994591/president-trump-twe...




It's known that the latest spy satellites have some kind of folding mirrors, and adaptive optics - things not being sci-fi anymore for a few decades at least.


The “theory max” is not that hardcoded, superresolution is a field and we don’t know what all they are up to with billions to burn. There were reports at some point about high altitude drones stationary above cities that can read license plate level data (not license plates themselves) at video rates over the entire city so who knows!




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