GeoEye-1
Encyclopedia
GeoEye-1 is a high-resolution earth observation satellite
owned by GeoEye
, which was launched in September 2008.
C4 Systems announced it had been awarded a contract worth approximately $209 million to build the OrbView-5 satellite. Its sensor is designed by the ITT Corporation
.
The satellite, now known as GeoEye-1, was originally scheduled for April 2008 but lost its 30-day launch slot to a U.S. government mission which had been delayed. It was rescheduled for launch August 22, 2008 from Vandenberg Air Force Base
aboard a Delta II
launch vehicle. The launch was postponed to September 4, 2008, due to unavailability of the Big Crow telemetry-relay aircraft. It was delayed again to September 6 because Hurricane Hanna interfered with its launch crews.
The launch took place successfully on September 6, 2008 at 11:50:57 a.m. PDT (18:50:57 UTC). The GeoEye-1 satellite separated successfully from its Delta II
launch vehicle at 12:49 p.m. PDT (19:49 UTC), 58 minutes and 56 seconds after launch.
GeoEye-1 provides 41 cm (16.1 in) panchromatic
and 1.65 m (5.4 ft) multispectral imagery in 15.2 km (9.4 mi) swaths. The spacecraft is intended for a sun-synchronous orbit
at an altitude of 684 km (425 mi) and an inclination of 98 degrees, with a 10:30 a.m. equator crossing time. GeoEye-1 can image up to 60 degrees off nadir. It is operated out of Dulles, Virginia.
At the time of its launch, GeoEye-1 was the world’s highest resolution commercial earth-imaging satellite. GeoEye-1 was manufactured in Gilbert, Arizona
by General Dynamics
and launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base
in California. The first image was returned on October 7, of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.
Google
, which has its logo on the side of the rocket, has exclusive online mapping use of its data. While GeoEye-1 is capable of imagery with details the size of 41 cm (16.1 in), that resolution will only be available to the US government
. Google will have access to details of 50 cm (19.7 in). Prior maximum commercial imagery was 60 centimetres (23.6 in).
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
and Google both paid $502 million for the satellite and upgrades to GeoEye's four ground stations.
Earth observation satellite
Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc....
owned by GeoEye
GeoEye
GeoEye Inc. is a commercial satellite imagery company based in Herndon, Virginia that is the world's largest space imaging corporation....
, which was launched in September 2008.
History
On December 1, 2004, General DynamicsGeneral Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
C4 Systems announced it had been awarded a contract worth approximately $209 million to build the OrbView-5 satellite. Its sensor is designed by the ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation is a global diversified manufacturing company based in the United States. ITT participates in global markets including water and fluids management, defense and security, and motion and flow control...
.
The satellite, now known as GeoEye-1, was originally scheduled for April 2008 but lost its 30-day launch slot to a U.S. government mission which had been delayed. It was rescheduled for launch August 22, 2008 from Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
aboard a Delta II
Delta II
Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011...
launch vehicle. The launch was postponed to September 4, 2008, due to unavailability of the Big Crow telemetry-relay aircraft. It was delayed again to September 6 because Hurricane Hanna interfered with its launch crews.
The launch took place successfully on September 6, 2008 at 11:50:57 a.m. PDT (18:50:57 UTC). The GeoEye-1 satellite separated successfully from its Delta II
Delta II
Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011...
launch vehicle at 12:49 p.m. PDT (19:49 UTC), 58 minutes and 56 seconds after launch.
Specifications and operation
| Mass at launch | 1955 kg (4,310 lb) |
|---|---|
| Bus mass | 1260 kg (2,777.8 lb) |
| Solar panels | GaAs, 3862W at the end of the life. |
| Data Downlink | 150 or 740 Mbps, X-Band. |
| Aperture | 1.1 m (3.6 ft) |
| Focal length | 13.3 m (43.6 ft) |
| Field of View | more than 1.28° |
| Design lifetime | 7 years in orbit, fully redundant. |
GeoEye-1 provides 41 cm (16.1 in) panchromatic
Panchromatic
Panchromatic film is a type of black-and-white photographic film that is sensitive to all wavelengths of visible light. A panchromatic film therefore produces a realistic reproduction of a scene as it appears to the human eye. Almost all modern photographic film is panchromatic, but some types are...
and 1.65 m (5.4 ft) multispectral imagery in 15.2 km (9.4 mi) swaths. The spacecraft is intended for a sun-synchronous orbit
Sun-synchronous orbit
A Sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time...
at an altitude of 684 km (425 mi) and an inclination of 98 degrees, with a 10:30 a.m. equator crossing time. GeoEye-1 can image up to 60 degrees off nadir. It is operated out of Dulles, Virginia.
At the time of its launch, GeoEye-1 was the world’s highest resolution commercial earth-imaging satellite. GeoEye-1 was manufactured in Gilbert, Arizona
Gilbert, Arizona
-Demographics:As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments, Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. there were 217,521 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household....
by General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
and launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
in California. The first image was returned on October 7, of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, which has its logo on the side of the rocket, has exclusive online mapping use of its data. While GeoEye-1 is capable of imagery with details the size of 41 cm (16.1 in), that resolution will only be available to the US government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
. Google will have access to details of 50 cm (19.7 in). Prior maximum commercial imagery was 60 centimetres (23.6 in).
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States with the primary mission of collecting, analyzing and distributing geospatial intelligence in support of national security. NGA was formerly known as the National Imagery and Mapping Agency ...
and Google both paid $502 million for the satellite and upgrades to GeoEye's four ground stations.
2009 Anomaly
In December 2009 GeoEye announced it had suspended imagery collections by GeoEye-1 for a few days, citing an irregularity in the downlink antenna. "The irregularity appears to limit the range of movement of GeoEye-1's downlink antenna, which may in turn affect GeoEye-1's ability to image and downlink simultaneously," GeoEye said.External links
- GeoEye-1 launch webpage
- ImageSearch - Search for GeoEye satellite imagery online
- Gallery - GeoEye Image Gallery