"Google Satellite" To Be Launched This Week

Lord Satri writes "Well, almost. Google signed an exclusivity deal with GeoEye regarding GeoEye-1, the most advanced high-resolution, civil, remote-sensing satellite to date. This must be annoying for other high-resolution, remote-sensing data users since Google already has an exclusivity deal in place with DigitalGlobe, the other major civil satellite imagery provider. From the CNet article: 'Under the deal, Google is the exclusive online mapping site that may use the imagery... in its Google Maps and Google Earth product. And as a little icing on the cake, Google's logo is on the side of the rocket set to launch the 4,300-pound satellite in six days from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. GeoEye-1 will orbit 423 miles above Earth, but it will be able to gather imagery with details the size of 41 centimeters... Google, though, is permitted to use data only with a resolution of 50 cm because of the terms of GeoEye's license with the US government.'"

Comments

50cm? That barrier is gonna fall soon

[davidwr]

Within 1-2 years other countries will have civilian spy satellites that break 50cm, putting American companies at a disadvantage.

The USA will have 3 choices:
Shoot the birds down, literally.
Shoot the birds down, politically - bully the other countries into imposing similar limits.
Lower or eliminate the artificial limit.

Anyone remember when encryption software was considered a munition? Apple and other companies had to go through hoops to export it, putting them at a distinct disadvantage over non-American companies.

Re:why the

[Arthur B.]

I can think of a few loopholes around this regulation.

What about taking many low resolution images of the same area and combine them later using super resolution?

Re:why the

[piltdownman84]

Most people are under 2 meters tall, and between 50cm and 100cm wide..

100cm Wide? I know a third of Americans are Obese, but 100 cm is massive. I'm about average and only 45 cm wide

Re:Which Orbit?

[cyclone96]

The interesting thing is that in order to get such an orbit, it has to pass over other countries. Will Google take footage of other countries? If so, will it use that footage? That would probably require some intense international negotiations.

Actually, it will not. I'm not sure if it's codified anywhere in international law or just by historical precedent, but a nation's airspace does not extend into space. A satellite can legally take photos of anything it can see, and there's little a country can do about it except hide things under cover or shoot it down (which likely would be considered an act of war).

Some countries (like the US) can exert control in limited ways by restricting operations if the imaging company does business in the country, but that's it.

Google has quite detailed satellite photos of Pyongyang, North Korea - I'm sure they didn't really agree to that.

Re:Gee I should have had a..

[aplusjimages]

How weird will that be, if 50 years from now people associate the word Google, like they associate the word Nazi?

Then we can all say "back in my day Google was just a search engine, not a military force that had every bit of information on each human on earth. All hail Page Brin."