Google to buy GeoEye satellite imagery
Photo: Google branded rocket
2020systems IYP customers will reach more customers starting September as Google is in a deal to purchase even higher resolution of satellite images to boost traffic to it’s Google Maps and Google Earth products.
Under the deal, Google is the exclusive online mapping site that may use the imagery. The rocket with the 4,300-pound satellite is set to launch on Sep 4, 2008 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. GeoEye-1 will orbit 423 miles above Earth, but it will be able to gather imagery with details the size of 41 centimeters. Google, though, is permitted to use data only with a resolution of 50cm because of the terms of GeoEye’s license with the U.S. government.
“The GeoEye-1 satellite has the highest ground resolution color imagery available in the commercial marketplace and will produce high-quality imagery with a very accurate geolocation,” said Google spokeswoman Kate Hurowitz, adding that most commercial satellite imagery has a resolution of 60cm. “It is our goal to display high-resolution imagery for as much of the world as possible, and GeoEye-1 will help further that goal.”
Google’s current imagery in Google Earth spans a range of resolution, the coarsest being 15 square meters per pixel, which is only good enough to see larger geographic features.
Photo: Google got a sponsor logo on the side of this rocket, set to launch the GeoEye-1 imaging satellite on September 4 2008
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