Demand Prompts DigitalGlobe To Eye Moving up GeoEye-2 Launch

摘要

Geospatial imagery and services provider DigitalGlobe on May 1 said demand for imagery of sharper resolution than what the U.S. government now allows for commercial sale appears so strong that the company could move up the launch date for its GeoEye-2 satellite. DigitalGlobe appears to have won the argument with the U.S. intelligence community about whether imagery with a ground sampling distance of 30 centimeters should be available for open commercial sales. The current maximum sharpness is 50 centimeters. U.S. intelligence officials in April indicated they had no problem with the idea. It is now up to the Obama administration, and specifically the U.S. secretary of commerce, to authorize the commercial sale of sharper imagery.