[vkou]

Are spy satellites actually intended to detect ongoing icmb attacks? Isn't the overwhelming majority of that job done by ground and sea-based radar stations?

[walrus01]

There are dedicated purpose infrared sensor missile launch warning sats owned and run by USA and Russia and China. In addition to other radar systems.

[thinkcontext]

Though there are certainly land and sea based systems, satellites will see launches from interior Russia first.

[vkou]

There is no meaningful difference between detecting a launch from Siberia, and detecting it once it's over the Bering sea. Either way, everyone on both sides will die.