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India Launches World's First Stereo Imaging Satellite

sgups writes "India will tomorrow inaugurate a new launch pad at its Satish Dhawan space port near Chennai, on the south-east coast, by putting the world's first stereographic mapping satellite into orbit. The most innovative feature of the 1.6-tonne Cartosat-1 is its pair of cameras, which will give stereo images of the earth's surface that can distinguish features down to 2.5 metres across. They will directly generate three-dimensional maps that have until now been achievable only indirectly, by combining data from a large number of satellite passes over the same place. "Such a stereographic imaging system does not exist in the civil sector anywhere else," says Mr Nair, chairman of the Bangalore-based Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). "It will give information about heights that will be very useful in applications such as planning power lines." Cartosat-1 will join what is already the world's largest cluster of non-military remote sensing satellites. Six Indian spacecraft are already observing the earth with a wide range of instruments."

18 of 339 comments (clear)

  1. Not just stereo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    But HIFI stereo, which means it has the highest level of fidelity available. It also sports an 8-track.

    1. Re:Not just stereo by wiredlogic · · Score: 2, Funny

      It also sports an 8-track.

      And a knob that goes all the way up to 11?

      --
      I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
    2. Re:Not just stereo by _ph1ux_ · · Score: 2, Funny

      Stop saying pornography. Why are you doing this to me? I am an actor. I am an actor.

  2. Tech support... by LouCifer · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...will be off-shored to China.

    --
    Religion is for people afraid of going to hell.
    1. Re:Tech support... by avalys · · Score: 2, Funny

      Oh, that's the joke, that you misused the word "offshored"?

      I see you're using the term "humor" quite loosely.

      --
      This space intentionally left blank.
  3. Re:I don't get by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    crap we hadn't thought of that..

    -India

  4. These Indian Guys by analysethis · · Score: 3, Funny

    I knew they were big into offshoring but...

  5. Re:I don't get by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ever known an engineer to use a simple strategy when a complex one would suffice?

    Any ham-radio enthusiast can make one of those. A stereographic mapping satellite, on the other hand, is engineer-grade.

  6. Ugly Rumor by Number6.2 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Any truth to the rumor that they're going to oursource their call center to a US firm?

    I'm kidding!

    --
    "If god did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him" --Voltaire
  7. I'll Wait For Quadrophonic Images ... by rewinn · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... hopefully with Dolby!

  8. Re:Imagine the Possibilities by RealAlaskan · · Score: 4, Funny
    3D from Space with 2.5m resolution. You could...

    See who keeps sneaking their $&^%@ trash into your can.

    At 2.5 meter resolution? You must have some FAT neighbors.

  9. Re:Imagine the Possibilities by nizo · · Score: 3, Funny
    can distinguish features down to 2.5 metres across.

    If they could only get a little better resolution, I can imagine they could pull in some cash by taking pictures of nude beaches. You would think that by now the first thought with new tech would be, "how can I use this for porn?"

  10. Re:Not the distance between the cameras by eggoeater · · Score: 2, Funny
    ...it is not the distance between the two cameras on the satellite that produces 3D imagery.
    Right...it's actually the cheap cardboard glasses over the camera lense with red and blue filters...
  11. Re:I don't get by alexhohio · · Score: 1, Funny

    You can laugh- or not admit it- but wouldn't a lot of us pay a significant amount of money for real time sattelite with military tyre resolution... I mean I love google maps, especially for free, but it would be cool to fire up the satellite, and check out teh parking lot to see if the boss's car is still there before you sneak out at 4:45... And we all know that zooming in on certain beaches would go without question... Think about a little window in the corner of your monitor watching your house to see if the milkman is staying too long with your wife.... Endless possibilities...

    --
    Almost every Harvard student was High School Valedictorian- After a year of college, half are in the bottom of the class
  12. Re:Imagine the Possibilities by imnojezus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Mmm, check out that white pixel laying on the sand colored pixel. Boy, would I like to anti-alias her! Assuming it is a her, and not a surfboard or a trashbag or something. Eh, who am I kidding? I'm not that picky.

  13. Re:You forgot... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    ..* view 3D maps of nude female sunbathers.

    Check out her peaks and valleys... (nudge nudge wink wink)

  14. Re:Why two cameras needed? by X_Bones · · Score: 2, Funny

    knowledgeable answers appreciated

    You must be new here.

  15. Re:All this... by stud9920 · · Score: 2, Funny

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