1st Images From The World's Most Powerful Commercial Satellite Are Stunningly Detaied

Ron Czapala

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-first-images-from-the-worlds-most-powerful-commercial-satellite-are-shocking-detailed-2014-8

This month, a company called DigitalGlobe launched what was billed as the world’s sharpest commercial Earth-imaging satellite. Called WorldView-3, the $500 million gadget can snap images of the ground at a 30-centimeter resolution. That’s sharp enough to see “not only a car, but the windshield and the direction the car is going,” the company boasted in a press release—as well as home plate on a baseball diamond, or the health of agricultural crops or even individual trees.

In fact, it’s so sharp that the company isn’t allowed to show the satellite’s full-resolution images to the public yet.

whicker

Generally fascinating technology.
No big deal as airplanes can fly overhead with much more detail.
And thousands of remote control multirotor aircraft with cameras are being built every month.

As for the satellite, wondering more about the data-link bandwidth and limitations on how many different areas of interest the satellite can capture per complete orbit.

GordonMcComb

OTOH, even at $500 million the satellite is cheaper for its intended lifespan and the area covered. One big expense amortized over the years in service. Plus it doesn't need permission to fly over someone's airspace. "Commercial" satellite images can be sold to all sorts of entities.