Satellite Technology Feature Article
October 09, 2008
GeoEye Release First High Resolution Photo Taken by GeoEye-1 Satellite
By Arvind Arora, TMCnet Contributor
GeoEye, a provider of satellite information, has released the first image taken from its GeoEye-1 satellite. The color image has a half-meter ground resolution.
GeoEye-1 is reportedly the world's highest resolution and most accurate commercial imaging satellite. It was launched September 6 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Sale of GeoEye-1 imagery products will start later this fall.
The satellite is able to simultaneously collect 0.41-meter ground resolution black-and-white imagery in panchromatic mode and 1.65-meter color, but commercial customers will only get access to imagery that has been processed to half-meter ground resolution, due to U.S. licensing restrictions.
The satellite was built by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems in Gilbert, Arizona, and its imaging system was built by ITT in Rochester, New York.
The first image taken by GeoEye-1 displays Kutztown University, located midway between Reading and Allentown, Pennsylvania. The satellite's panchromatic and multispectral data were integrated to produce this high-quality, true-color half-meter resolution image. The image includes academic buildings, parking lots, roads, athletic fields and the track-and-field facility at Kutztown University.
GeoEye-1 took this image while it was moving north to south in a 423-mile-high orbit over the Eastern seaboard of the U.S., on October. 7.
Matthew O'Connell, CEO at GeoEye, said release of this image brings the company one step closer to starting commercial operations for the satellite.
Bill Schuster, chief operating officer at GeoEye's, added that the company is bringing GeoEye-1 satellite into service within four years of its contract award with no contract cost overruns. GeoEye-1 is an excellent fit to meet the U.S. government's requirements for mapping and broad area space-based imagery collection over the next decade.
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Arvind Arora is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Arvind's articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Mae Kowalke
