Google’s new satellite enabling high res maps
The highest resolution commercial Earth imaging satellite to date, the GeoEye-1, was launched over the weekend on a Delta-II rocket that carried the Google logo alongside the GeoEye logo on its side. The satellite was built as part of the U.S. National Geospatial Agency’s NextView program under which the agency shared the costs of engineering, construction and launch of new generation satellites to support the commercial satellite imaging industry. For the GeoEye-1 satellite the agency funded about US$237 million of the total $502 million price tag. The agency has also committed to buying imaging data from the satellite for at least the first year and a half of operations.
Google will also be buying images taken by the satellite to supplement those it already uses in its Google Earth and Google Maps services. GeoEye-1, which was launched at 11:51 a.m. Saturday morning, is capable of shooting 41-centimeter black and white images and 1.65 meter color images. The measurements refer to the size of the smallest thing that it can see from its orbit 681 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. U.S. regulations mean the highest resolution images available to commercial customers will be at 50cm, but while not the best the satellite can offer, is still double that of the current best-resolution image available from GeoEye’s Ikonos satellite.
Source: PC World
Comments(27)
Quite interesting, thanks for the post.
“An nice
September 8th, 2008 | 13:55
Quite interesting, thanks for the post.”
Are you blind? where’s the link?
Link to what! Did u actually read the story. The satellite was only launched on Saturday, you’re not gonna see any images from this for at least a couple of months and then only through Google maps or earth or something similar.
Chill!!
So what resolution can the government get that we are not allowed to have?
@wagnerian
It tells you in the post that the satellite is capable of shooting 41cm black & white images and 1.65m color images.
The question should be what is it that is smaller than 50cm that the government doesn’t want you spotting on GoogleEarth?
google wants to rule the world, i tell ya.
i can already zoom in to see my car parked in front of my house on google maps. that’s close enough for me.
LOL idiot sheeple, just more intrusion from the government that you allow to happen like good little servants. Wake up and relaize the goverment is using this technology to spy on you and keep you in line. Next you will be letting them tag you with micro chips all in the name of “security”
Just because this can see down to 41cm does not mean the military has not got satalites capable of seeing smaller objects… and trust me they do…
I don’t care if government see the sh*t on my backyard. I have nothing to hide from them they don’t already know.
wagnerian ,
An interesting question. A civil satellite allow us a 50cm resolution. How much is the highest res military satellite? 5 cm? less? Scary enough…
i don’t care, if i need to piss outside i will. esp if the wife has been in there…dam she stinks!!!
thank feck she doesn’t read this…or i would be dead lol
who cares, google sucks anyway.
Wow, I can finally start my “Voyeurism in space” website!
@NWO – Gotta love tha paranoid freakshows in the world. YOu guys are always entertaining. Do you drive an extermiator van with a big bug on top like Dale Gribble on King of the Hill too? You paranoid, hillbilly loser, go dig your bomb shelter put on your tinfoil underwear to stop the alien probe and STFU.
How long has your car been parked out front to see it?
How long has your car been parked out front to see it?
“41-centimeter black and white images and 1.65 meter color images. ”
so WTF IS THAT SPOSED TO MEAN….. is that cm per pixel or what… 41cm per pixel of colour… thtas like one pixel per person… i see much better res on google earth… explaine this res value pls.
can i see my balls from space? that would be nice!
EXPLAIN RES VALUE OR SUCK MY BALLS, THAY R DRY.
MY BALLS R DRY!!!
If he’s seeing it on Google maps, it’s been parked there at least 2 years, and probably more like 4. *L* I can see my car parked in front of where I lived about that long ago.
Its not the Government folks, its the COMPANY…!
@12
LOLOLOL thanks for the laugh
“Next you will be letting them tag you with micro chips all in the name of “security””
Charlie Jade.
Hahahhhahhhahha, paranoid mofo. Go watch the movie the Bug, suits you pretty wellllllll….
@ 15, 16, & 18 Sam & Thraprod, yes, I’ve had my car for the time I’ve lived at this address, about 4 years and the map says google maps- imagery 2008, so who knows how old the map is. I can’t tell the make of the cars but I can see my house and I can make out my black car. it’s pretty cool. BTW, I work for the fed. gov. dep. of defense/ homeland security and we have satellites that can see license plate numbers. We have sensors on the streets that sense gunshots or loud noises and turn on cameras in the area that can see better than HD. Our satellites can see and hear way more than you think.
Google map image ages vary. I’ve looked at newly developed areas and the images were only months old but other areas I’ve seen are years old.
this is one f*cking satellite, taking still photos for google. That’s some pretty effective spying lol. If anyone is spying on you, you wouldn’t know about it, that’s the point. But you better be pretty f*kcing special to get that kind of attention lol.
NWO->GTFO, go watch zeitgeist a dozen more times you idiot
The smallest possible bit of the image (ie the pixel) of their image represents 41 cm of Earth Distance (in BW). Go calculate the Color scale yourself (and water your balls, #17, no need to keep’em dry