Imagery Sources

GeoEye set geospatial industry standards with the launch of IKONOS®, the world's first commercial satellite. Driven to continue this trend through an intense commitment to our clients, we own and operate an extensive constellation of Earth-imaging satellites, mapping aircraft and an international network of ground stations. These resources, coupled with our vast imagery archive and advanced imagery-processing capabilities, allow us to offer a broad spectrum of imagery products that our clients continue to rely on year after year.


IKONOS

Setting the Standard

GeoEye first made history with the IKONOS satellite launch almost ten years ago. IKONOS, derived from the Greek word for image, is the world's first commercial satellite able to collect black-and-white (panchromatic) images with 1-meter resolution and multispectral imagery with 4-meter resolution. Imagery from both sensors can be merged to create 1-meter color imagery (pan-sharpened). The more than 300 million square kilometers of imagery that IKONOS has collected over every continent is being used for national security, military mapping, air and marine transportation, and by regional and local governments.

IKONOS Specifications
Spatial Resolution 0.82 meter x 3.2 meters
Spectral Range 526–929 nm
445–516 nm (blue)
506–595 nm (green)
632–698 nm (red)
757–853 nm (near IR)
Swath Width 11.3 km
Off-Nadir Imaging Up to 60 degrees
Dynamic Range 11 bits per pixel
Mission Life Expected > 8.3 years
Revisit Time Approximately 3 days
Orbital Altitude 681 km
Nodal Crossing 10:30 a.m.

IKONOS / GeoEye-1 Imagery Comparison

GeoEye-1

GeoEye will again make history with the upcoming launch of GeoEye-1—the world's highest resolution commercial earth-imaging satellite.

GeoEye-1 will be equipped with the most sophisticated technology ever used in a commercial satellite system. It will offer unprecedented spatial resolution by simultaneously acquiring 0.41-meter panchromatic and 1.65-meter multispectral imagery. The detail and geospatial accuracy of GeoEye-1 imagery will further expand applications for satellite imagery in every commercial and government market sector. To learn more about GeoEye’s collection and delivery capabilities, please visit our launch site.

GEOEYE-1 Specifications
Spatial Resolution 0.41 meters x 1.65 meters
Spectral Range 450–800 nm
450–510 nm (blue)
510–580 nm (green)
655–690 nm (red)
780–920 nm (near IR)
Swath Width 15.2 km
Off-Nadir Imaging Up to 60 degrees
Dynamic Range 11 bits per pixel
Mission Life Expected > 10 years
Revisit Time Less than 3 days
Orbital Altitude 681 km
Nodal Crossing 10:30 a.m.

GeoEye-1 / IKONOS Imagery Comparison

OrbView-2

GeoEye’s OrbView-2 collects on a daily basis color imagery of the Earth’s land and ocean surfaces. As the foundation upon which GeoEye built the SeaStarSM Fisheries Information Service, OrbView-2 provides imagery for maps used by commercial vessels to detect favorable oceanographic fishing conditions. The satellite also provides broad-area coverage in 2,800 km-wide swaths, which are routinely used in naval operations, environmental monitoring, and global crop-assessment applications.

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ORBVIEW-2 Specifications
Spatial Resolution 1.1 kilometers
Imaging Channels Six visible; two near-infrared
Spectral Range 400–875 nm
Swath Width 2,800 km
Mission Life Expected > 12 years
Revisit Time Daily
Orbital Altitude 705 km