GeoEye is the Google Eye in the Sky
By Azam on August 29, 2008 
GeoEye announced the launch on September 4 of the new $502 million high-resolution GeoEye-1 satellite and an exclusive deal to provide imagery for Google Earth and Google Maps. Google plans to place its logo on the Delta II rocket that will launch the new satellite. GeoEye-1 will provide the highest resolution commercial color imagery available on the market. GeoEye’s new satellite will be the world’s highest resolution commercial earth-imaging satellite, offering images at .41 meters resolution in black and white and 1.65 meters in color. The images will have to reduced according to current government rules and regulations; the company can only offer half-meter images to the public. Regardless, the picture from GeoEye will be clearer than current imagery and exciting developing to look forward to on new satellite images and maps that are becoming increasing popular with new devices and applications.
“Google is interested in collecting the highest quality satellite imagery available and as a symbol of this commitment has agreed to put the company logo on the first stage of our launch vehicle,” Mark Brender of GeoEye said.
“The combination of GeoEye’s high-resolution, map-accurate satellite imagery from GeoEye-1 and Google’s search and display capabilities provides users with access to rich, interactive visual image maps of the Earth,” Kate Hurowitz of Google said
Google already uses imagery collected by another high-resolution GeoEye satellite, IKONOS, as well as imagery from other sources, including GeoEye’s main rival, Digital Globe, which plans an initial public offering this year.
Google will continue to use imagery from other providers, but GeoEye will provide its imagery exclusively to Google, not any other on-line mapping websites, Brender said.
In the future, the picture gets much more clearer with new satellites providing higher resolution of imagery to be launched in the future. The technology in GeoEye was developed by ITT built the imaging subsystem, and General Dynamics built the overall satellite. GeoEye also contracted with ITT for the imaging in the GeoEye-2 satellite, due to launch in 2011 or 2012. GeoEye-2 satellite will have a resolution of 25cm, or about 9.75 inches.
Image of the Burj in Dubai below
Tags : DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Google Earth, Google Maps, Satellite