US government lifts restrictions on high-detail satellite imaging

[ignhelper]

[IMG]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/06/goog-southamerica.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE]The US government will now allow the likes of Google and Microsoft's Bing to use satellite images containing far more detail. Previous restrictions stopped anything smaller than 50 cm (1.64 feet) being shown on satellite photos. Imaging company [URL="http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/17/google-earth-gets-assisted-by-new-satellite/"]Digital Globe[/URL] was behind the request, and reckons it could well take shots from space that capture things as small as 31 cm.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/17/us-lifts-satellite-imaging-restrictions/?ncid=rss_truncated&utm_campaign=socialmedia_fb&utm_source=socialmedia_fb&utm_medium=fb[/url]

Now I can finally zoom in on Area 51!!

[Awesomecaek]

[quote]that capture things as small as 31 cm.[/quote]

That's dangerously close to resolution capable of displaying my penis

[joshjet]

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45134851]That's dangerously close to resolution capable of displaying my penis[/QUOTE]

It's only one order of magnitude away!

[Awesomecaek]

[QUOTE=joshjet;45135001]It's only one order of magnitude away![/QUOTE]

well it went from 50cm to 31cm, one more 19cm jump and it should fit most people

[sloppy_joes]

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45135087]well it went from 50cm to 31cm, one more 19cm jump and it should fit most people[/QUOTE]

That's inconsiderate. Some members on this forum need two more 19cm jumps.

[Technopath]

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45135087]well it went from 50cm to 31cm, one more 19cm jump and it should fit most people[/QUOTE]

I thought the average was around 15 and not 12?

This thread gets record holder of the year for fastest jump from satellite pictures to penis average sizes.

[Bradyns]

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45135087]well it went from 50cm to 31cm, one more 19cm jump and it should fit most people[/QUOTE]

An order of magnitude down takes it to millimetres..:eng101:

[Awesomecaek]

[QUOTE=Bradyns;45135149]An order of magnitude down takes it to millimetres..:eng101:[/QUOTE]

I am just explaining "dangerously close", as in "it's getting there" :C

[dai]

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45135197]I am just explaining "dangerously close", as in "it's getting there" :C[/QUOTE]

on a scale of "photo of earth" to "lewd snapchats" satellites are doing good

[alxnotorious]

Time to start tanning naked in my backyard.

[Fatfatfatty]

I wonder if google would add the possibility to ask to have your house blurred or something to prevent whackos from throwing a fit

[Awesomecaek]

[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;45135592]I wonder if google would add the possibility to ask to have your house blurred or something to prevent whackos from throwing a fit[/QUOTE]

Probably the best way of getting people curious about your property.

[Fatfatfatty]

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45135607]Probably the best way of getting people curious about your property.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but there will always be some crazy guy going "the government is WATCHING ME" or are super paranoid about stalkers or something, it's just something to make people more comfortable.

[bravehat]

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45135607]Probably the best way of getting people curious about your property.[/QUOTE]

Well, really it is data pertaining to them so there's no reason they shouldn't be able to have it blurred if they want.

[Awesomecaek]

[QUOTE=bravehat;45135817]Well, really it is data pertaining to them so there's no reason they shouldn't be able to have it blurred if they want.[/QUOTE]
I agree but I think it's counter productive to request that.

[Sableye]

so did they do this because they finally got over their fear of kim jong un using it for military "reconnaissance" photos

[notgeogzm]

i'll probably check this to look at remote settlements in the middle of obscure countries, just to see what even happens out there :v:

[Ninja Duck]

I did some more reading and DigitalGlobe will also be able to sell the high resolution images they take with their newer WorldView-3 sattelite six months after it's operational, and it launches in August.

[quote]Additionally, the updated approvals will permit DigitalGlobe to sell imagery to all of its customers at up to 0.25m panchromatic and 1.0m multispectral ground sample distance (GSD) beginning six months after its next satellite WorldView-3 is operational. WorldView-3 is scheduled to launch, August 13 or 14, 2014 from Vandenberg Air Force base.[/quote]
From the press release: [url]http://investor.digitalglobe.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=70788&p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=1939027[/url]

[itak365]

My GIS penis is throbbing right now.

[Jsm]

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45135607]Probably the best way of getting people curious about your property.[/QUOTE]

I was going to say that is literally the basis of the Streisand effect. If I was looking on Google earth and saw one blurred / low res area I would be curious. If it wasn't modified I would probably not even look at it..

[.𓃉𓁿𓂎𓁿𓃉.]

[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;45135620]Yeah, but there will always be some crazy guy going "the government is WATCHING ME" or are super paranoid about stalkers or something, it's just something to make people more comfortable.[/QUOTE]

of course, the government, which has its own spy satellites of even greater resolution, uses google earth

[DeEz]

are satellite imaging schedules publicly available?

i would love to do something special if it sweeps over my area

[Lurklet]

Is there any pictures out there so I can see what this looks like?

[smurfy]

This is 30cm resolution apparently. Open the pics in a new tab

[t]http://imgkk.com/i/wzlc.jpg[/t] [t]http://imgkk.com/i/c928.jpg[/t] [t]http://imgkk.com/i/8vv4.jpg[/t]

From [url=http://emap-int.com/2010/August/article13.html]here[/url] and [url=https://apollomapping.com/imagery/high-resolution-imagery]here[/url]

Here's 50cm, the previous limit

[t]http://imgkk.com/i/zvtw.jpg[/t]

[dai]

[QUOTE=smurfy;45138425]This is 30cm resolution apparently. Previous restriction was 50cm

[t]http://imgkk.com/i/n5az.jpg[/t]

[t]http://imgkk.com/i/wzlc.jpg[/t]

[t]http://imgkk.com/i/c928.jpg[/t]

[t]http://imgkk.com/i/8vv4.jpg[/t]

From [url=http://emap-int.com/2010/August/article13.html]here[/url] and [url=https://apollomapping.com/imagery/high-resolution-imagery]here[/url][/QUOTE]

yeah, from the phrasing lots of people might not understand right away that it means that [I]a pixel represents the 30cm[/I], not that you can make out a what a 30cm object is

[smurfy]

If you want some shit satellite imagery to compare it to, look at Israel on Google Maps. US law prohibits a resolution higher than 1m for pictures of Israel.

[FunnyBunny]

Israel is real weird like that. At my university, our satellite photos have to be approved by the US Govt. prior to release, because we could capture pics of Israel from space and that's a huge no-no. All this even though our satellite cameras have no aiming capability, and have a resolution of (guesstimating here) of ~1-2 miles per pixel. An example of a photo we're capable of taking:
[IMG]http://i.gyazo.com/146b7137417bb0f8165028e0a77c89e1.png[/IMG]

[DaysBefore]

[QUOTE=FunnyBunny;45138737]Israel is real weird like that. At my university, our satellite photos have to be approved by the US Govt. prior to release, because we could capture pics of Israel from space and that's a huge no-no. All this even though our satellite cameras have no aiming capability, and have a resolution of (guesstimating here) of ~1-2 miles per pixel. An example of a photo we're capable of taking:
[IMG]http://i.gyazo.com/146b7137417bb0f8165028e0a77c89e1.png[/IMG][/QUOTE]
Wow look at all those nuclear silos, I'm faxing this straight to Iran