New Commercial Satellite Launched to Take High Resolution Images of Earth

Expect new and high-definition images of Earth in the coming months as a new commercial satellite was launched today for the purpose of taking high-quality images of the planet.

The satellite was launched last Friday from the coast of California. The satellite called WorldView-4 was aboard the Atlas V rocket that lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The launch was performed last Nov. 11 at 10:30am.

What makes this new satellite from DigitalGlobe more special is that it provides high-resolution images to its private and government-funded clients. It is equipped with innovative and advanced camera systems to help the satellite deliver its promise of unprecedented image resolution from space.

Earlier this year, the cameras aboard the new satellite were tested and were able to successfully capture the detail of a moving car from 400 miles away.

"WorldView-4 is the latest in a series of imaging and data satellites built by Lockheed Martin for customers around the world," a Lockheed Martin official said in a press release. The satellite is outfitted with a camera so accurate it can discern the make and model of a car, advanced star trackers to ensure precision pointing, and antennas that share the collected information back to Earth," the official added.

The launched performed last week was executed by the United Launch alliance comprised of Lockheed Martin and Boeing that was able to successfully perform 112 times since its founding in 2006. ULA is currently SpaceX fiercest rival in space launch and apparently, the race to Mars.

The much-awaited launch was delayed due to a tank leak and natural wild fires near the launch pad. With the help of WorldView-4 satellite, DigitalGlobe will be able to increase its ability to gather the highest-resolution images from space.

"WorldView-4 dramatically extends DigitalGlobe's position as the industry leader in earth imagery, and insight into our changing planet," Jeffrey R. Tarr, Chief Executive Officer of DigitalGlobe said in an interview.

This is a great example of how advancement in technology can further help scientists, astronomers and researchers in understanding the world and the universe by providing unprecedented images of the Earth from space.