GeoEye's New High-Resolution Satellite Releases 1st Image

摘要

GeoEye has released the first image from the highest-ever resolution commercial imaging satellite, its clarity trumpeted by yard-line numbers and goal posts on a Pennsylvania football field. GeoEye-1, launched Sept. 6 aboard a Delta 2 rocket from Van-denberg Air Force Base in California, will undergo a couple weeks of calibration before its ITT Corp.-built imaging payload begins producing color half-meter ground resolution images for commercial customers and even higher resolution images for its U.S. government customers, GeoEye spokesman Mark Brender said. "This [image] is right out of the barrel; it was this quality without focus operations, and we expect the imagery might even improve as we calibrate the satellite," Brender said.