Imagery Sources

GeoEye set geospatial industry standards with the launch of IKONOS®, the world's first sub-meter 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 82-centimeter 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 again made history with the Sept. 6, 2008 launch of GeoEye-1—the world's highest resolution commercial earth-imaging satellite.

GeoEye-1 is equipped with the most sophisticated technology ever used in a commercial satellite system. It offers 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 further expands 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  
Panchromatic Sensor 0.41 meters x 0.41 meters
Multispectral Sensor 1.65 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.

› More information on OrbView-2

ORBVIEW-2 Specifications
Spatial Resolution 1.13 km LAC/HRPT and 4.5 km GAC
Eight narrow spectral bands 0.402-0.888 nm >
402-422 nm (violet)
433-453 nm (violet-blue)
480-500 nm (blue)
Spectral Bands 500-520 nm (green)
545-565 nm (green)
660-680 nm (red)
745-785 nm (near-IR)
845-885 nm (near-IR)
Orbit Type Sun Synchronous at 705 km
Nodal Crossing Noon +20 min, descending
Orbital Period 99 minutes
Swath Width 2,800 km LAC/HRPT (58.3 degrees); 1,500 km GAC (45 degrees)
Revisit Time 1 day
Calibration On-board solar diffuser calibration update reference
Lunar Calibration Monthly maneuver
Digitization 10 bits
Sun glint avoidance +/- 20 degree sensor fore-aft tilt
Mission Life > 12 years