Satellite Intelligence Availability

Image Gallery: Inside GeoEye's $500 Million Imaging Satellite

By Cora Nucci

InformationWeek October 23, 2008 04:00 AM

COMPILER COMMENTS: this article gives an idea of the current resolution limits for spacebased photography. It is interesting that this is co-sponsored by a US commercial company. Availability of such resolution in the public domain would affect the quality of terrorist site information gathering considerably. Since most such targets are civilian, they are likely NOT in the government-permission sector of restriction. A word to the wise should be sufficient. Go to the article to see an image gallery of what this satellite can do. Impressive, alarming.

See photos of the Geo-Eye-1 satellite, which will capture ultra high resolution images for Google and U.S. Government agencies from 432 miles above Earth.

GeoEye-1, the highest resolution imaging satellite in orbit, has begun releasing color images of such exceptional spatial resolution, that some cannot be viewed without explicit government approval.

GeoEye's $500 million satellite launched into orbit September 6 on a Boeing Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base. After a 45-day testing and calibration period, images will begin downloading to GeoEye customers.

The GeoEye-1 being packed for transport to Vandenberg AFB for final launch preparations.

The GeoEye-1 is capable of capturing images as small as 16 inches in size from 432 miles above Earth -- close enough to spot a crusty baguette or an 12-lb. bluefish -- but not quite near enough to identify a human face, the company says.