}

First photos of the new satellite Quickbird

2002/04/04 Elhuyar Zientzia

It is located in an orbit 450 km from Earth, but its photos are so clear that the soccer field lines, the shadows of people or cars can be distinguished in the photos taken by the new satellite.

The company DigitalGlobe of Longmonte sent another satellite last year but failed, but this time they have triumphed with the Quickbird launched in October. In fact, in February they began to receive the photographs.

The Quickbird camera can separate objects of 60 cm and the satellite Icons, sent in 1999 by the company Space Imaging Inc. of Denver, has a resolution of almost 90 cm.

As for the operation, the mechanism used by Quickbird and the photocopier are very similar, but this time the lens sweeps the surface.

There is therefore a resource that will help research in different areas. For example, more detailed details of coral reefs, studying the slow growth of the urban population, making better urban maps, or temporarily tracking the cracks in Antarctic ice can be taken.

Gai honi buruzko eduki gehiago

Elhuyarrek garatutako teknologia