Google buys GeoEye imagery to extend Google Earth and Maps
GeoEye will be launching a new satellite in the next few days to provide detailed imagery, of which Google will be the exclusive owner of. Google signed a deal to provide enhanced imagery for its Maps and Earth applications via the GeoEye’s highest ground resolution color imagery available in the commercial marketplace.
The “GeoEye-1,” which weighs in at 4,300 pounds and even sports a Google logo, will launch next week from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, according to CNet News. The satellite will orbit 423 miles above Earth, but will be able to gather imagery with details the size of 41 centimeters. Interestingly enough, Google is only permitted to use data with a resolution of 50cm because of the terms of GeoEye’s license with the U.S. government.
Most likely, Google selected GeoEye because of its “pan-sharpened” format. Each day, the satellite will be able to gather high-resolution imagery of a surface area equal to that of about New Mexico, the company said. “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.”
While Google’s imagery in Maps and Earth is still ahead of the game, the technology is always evolving, and Google isn’t about to be behind the times. GeoEye, for example, is already planning future satellite deployments including the GeoEye-2 which should launch in 2011 or 2012. This satellite will have a resolution of 25cm, or about 9.75 inches. Google’s current imagery in Earth spans a range of resolution, the coarsest being 15 square meters per pixel, which is only good enough to see larger geographic features.
It’s already fun to explore the satellite view in Maps, and I’m already impressed by the detail when zoomed far in, but some areas do seem to have not been updated in a long time. With the faster imaging speeds and more detail provided by these new satellites, updates should be pouring in much faster- especially in rural areas.
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