Mountain View (CA) - The first image to ever been captured by the GeoEye-1, the highest-resolution commercial satellite sponsored by Google, was Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.
 
On October 7, 2008 at noon the 4300 pound satellite captured the image while en route from the North Pole to the South Pole. It was in orbit at 423 miles in the air and traveling 17,000 miles per hour, which is about 4.5 miles each second.  Google’s space craft is capable of taking images at a resolution of almost 41 centimeters.



Google is not the only company with stake in the GeoEye-1, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, which is an agency of the United States government responsible for analyzing imagery for national security paid for half of the development of the satellite, and agrees to purchase imagery from it.

The military has been utilizing high-resolution satellites that have the ability to read newspaper headlines anywhere. It has only been in the recent years that the technology has been made available to the public. In 2004, this technology was brought into our homes via Google Earth. Initially, the low resolution imagery was spotty. However, by early 2006 the resolution improved significantly.

Though Google and the NGA will be sharing the satellite, Google, due to government restrictions is only able to use images taken at a 50-centimeter resolution, whereas the military will be utilizing the 41 centimeter resolution. Google will also be able to utilize the images exclusively on the web.

Google and the NGA will be launching the Geo-Eye 2 in 2011 or 2012. This satellite will have a 25 centimeter resolution, but don’t expect to be able to see anything more on the search engine, once again, due to government restrictions.

...that have the ability to read newspaper headlines anywhere...

Oct 09, 2008 19:26     

Geeze, just go out and buy a paper already... why do you have to go reading everyone else's from space?
Henrik Gustavsson report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +12

RE: ...that have the ability to read newspaper headlines

Oct 09, 2008 19:59     

just imagine all the money you could save by reading them from a satelitte rather than buy them... that's a lot of money... maybe it could add up to some interesting apple pie/citizen ratio
anonymous report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Dear Samantha Rose Hunt: Based on this article it s...

Oct 09, 2008 20:00     

Dear Samantha Rose Hunt: Based on this article it seems that your scientific knowledge needs improvement. The article is loaded with errors. For example,"...in orbit at 423 miles in the air..." in the air? There is no air in space! The sentence should have read instead: "...in orbit at an altitude of 423 miles..." There are other issues but I don't have the time for it. Hope you avoid such errors in the future. On October 7, 2008 at noon the 4300 pound satellite captured the image while en route from the North Pole to the South Pole. It was in orbit at 423 miles in the air and traveling 17,000 miles per hour, which is about 4.5 miles each second. Google’s space craft is capable of taking images at a resolution of almost 41 centimeters.

Isaac report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -9

Doesn't Make Sense

Oct 09, 2008 23:22     

Hello TGDaily, Bad news--"a resolution of almost 41 centimeters" works out to 16 inches. That means the smallest sized letter the satellite could read would be about four feet across (figuring a six-by-six array of 16" maximum resolution dots). That's one mighty big headline. Out of courtesy I won't suggest what it might read. Tom's Hardware--please contact me. I'd be glad to write technology articles for you that make sense. Really--I'd be glad to.

Concerned Observer report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -5

RE... Doesn't Make Sense

Oct 10, 2008 02:37     

Read the article again "The military has been utilizing high-resolution satellites that have the ability to read newspaper headlines anywhere. It has only been in the recent years that the technology has been made available to the public" what part says there that the military is using the 41cm resolution to read the newspaper headlines???
mp328 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +8

Just out of curiosity...

Oct 10, 2008 07:10     

When in this article did I state that the military was using the Geo-Eye1 to read newspaper headlines. What I think I said was that the military has been capable of using this technology (AND EVEN BETTER) for a while now, for uses such as spying...however it has UNTIL NOW not been made available for the public. Thanks.
Samantha Rose Hunt report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +6

to the "Dear Samantha Rose Hunt: " guy/gal

Oct 10, 2008 08:54     

People like you make me hate humanity even more. A waste of flesh, but you think you know it all.
logicx report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -6

Sooo... What now Google?

Oct 10, 2008 11:21     

Sooo does that mean Google is going to get on the ball and start upgrading the parts that are horrible resolution and also finally let us use the top line on the zoom bar for rural locations??
WTF report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Why Kutztown?

Oct 10, 2008 14:02     

What that location? That's pretty cool, I know people around there. But was it on purpose or coincidence?
what and report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

All this.. but

Oct 10, 2008 22:14     

where's NYC's public transportation on the map?
nev report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Yah,

Oct 11, 2008 18:35     

I kind of wanted to make sure that there were no sharp rocks before I go White water rafting in the Grand Canyon.
Sorbitol report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Google Earth does not appear to be updating photos

Oct 12, 2008 07:43     

Many areas of Contra Costa County in California have experienced tremendous growth and new streets yet Google Earth show the same vacant fields as it did in 2005.
Notsoandso report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

So...

Oct 12, 2008 10:56     

You're logging into a computer to use a satellite to find someone reading a newspaper.. (probably not even the one you prefer) so that you can read (if they are in a good angle and in that page..) the headlines... So... I guess, no one can type... www.times.com right?
Q report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0