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| Commercial Satellite Imagery |
Commercial satellite images' quality and usage are taking a giant leap forward later. Since satellites were used to take earth photographs from space, the human perspective has changed in many areas, from construction to defence. These images have inspired a lot of excitement and introspection as well as, often, fear. Like any other input, satellite imagery is also neutral. But, we can find these images very powerful in terms of the information they share by revealing surprisingly minute details and comprehensive.
Initially, the reach of satellite imagery was limited, but lately, the number of users accessing satellite photos has been exploding. As time passes, many new commercial satellites are also coming into the picture with increasing capabilities, such as spy satellites for the military, geospatial surveying, etc. From the commercial satellite operators taking satellite photos, you can buy these images for various purposes.
Usages of satellite images
Satellite images make it possible for a wide range of things, such as distinguishing between trucks or tanks, pin-point the movement of large troops or refugee groups, or identifying the location of some natural elements. These images' good or bad impact depends on who buys them and how they use them. Just use a reputable place to buy imagery from satellites.In fact, there is no such specific guaranteed use of satellite images. In contrast, governments, big corporate, small groups or individuals now use commercial imagery as a part of their intelligence gathering, do industrial espionage, mount military operations or even plan terrorist attacks for the worse. Even when used with good intentions, it is difficult to derive accurate and instantly usable information from the available images and data. On the other hand, misinterpreting the satellite images could be misidentifying the objects.
Those who purchase commercial satellite images and photos make use of them for a variety of purposes. Governments and organizations may use it to track any sudden refugee movements, document any large-scale atrocity, monitor any environmental degradation, or monitor any disputes between countries before they escalate into any full-fledged riot or war.
For example, the UN (United Nations) has used satellite images to track drug trafficking for more than 10 years now. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) does surveillance to ensure compliance with international arms control agreements through satellite imagery.
All-seeing hawk's eye
It is now possible to offer geoeye 1 satellite imagery to support legal claims for illegal plant clearing or insurance fraud. For example, evidence recently evaluated of the satellite imagery taken during the Syrian civil back in 2013 showed evidence of visible damage to about 640 buildings.Lawn care right from space
An enterprising lawn care company leveraged the advantage of using the Google Earth application to assess the yard work needs of potential clients. Instead of an expert going physically to the location and spending many hours to measure the total land area, geospatial technology could easily estimate this. This could be done at a larger scale using commercial satellite imagery. Such a development will help landscapers control their lean logistical procedures, save time, and optimize their resources.Considering the future of satellite imagery, we can see that space is already well integrated into our lives. With the advancement in the internet of things and smart grids, it will get involved in human activities. More applications like Google Maps that combine aerial, space, and ground-based imagery will ensure seamless and immense any-purpose imagery.
