As has been shown in past military skirmishes, commercially operated remote sensing spacecraft -- specifically, Space Imaging's IKONOS and the French-built SPOT satellites, are likely to see increased use of their imagery by government agencies and groups, both within the United States and abroad.
Over the last several years, the level of service, ability to rapidly respond, the quality and type of products that can be generated by the commercial remote sensing sector has been stepped up.
Already, both IKONOS and SPOT satellites have demonstrated their respective abilities. High-resolution snapshots from hundreds of miles above Earth show the tragic consequences of terrorism in New York City and Washington, D.C.
Customer requests
"The IKONOS images provide a fresh context and content of the scale of the disasters that one cannot see with a normal hand-held camera standing on a street corner," said Mark Brender, Space Imaging's Executive Director of Government Affairs and Corporate Communications in Washington, D.C.
Brender would not comment directly on how IKONOS and its ability to focus on objects a little over three feet across (one-meter) may already be tapped by military strategists in the swiftly moving campaign against terrorists. "Consistent with past policy, we will not divulge the names of our customers or the companies or agencies they represent without their prior approval," Brender told SPACE.com.
Space Imaging has been contacted by the New York Governor's office, Brender said, requesting information on how satellite imagery can be utilized for disaster assessment and emergency management.
The French-owned SPOT spacecraft has also been busy churning out high-resolution satellite snapshots showing the horror caused by terrorists.
"We're getting imagery every day of the sites at our customer's request," said Clark Nelson, Director of Communications for SPOT Image in Reston, Virginia.
As a company policy, customer requests for SPOT data, and areas being imaged, remains confidential, Nelson said. "We operate under open skies and open accessthe United Nations policy," he said.
"Commercial image providers from around the world can assist in very valuable ways by providing the views and information necessary to help all facets of this disaster. We provide another perspective. The emphasis in not about commercial products, but using all the resources available to help with the situation," Nelson told SPACE.com.
Private, first-class
Over the next few weeks, the number of first-class Earth looking satellites will grow by two.
Next up is ORBIMAGE's OrbView-4 satellite, a sophisticated private remote sensing spacecraft, ready for a September 21 liftoff. OrbView-4 carries high-resolution and hyperspectral imaging gear.
Also set to join the on-orbit ranks of commercial remote sensing is DigitalGlobe's QuickBird.
QuickBird is slated for liftoff on a Boeing Delta II from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on October 18, said Chuck Herring, Director of Marketing Communications for DigitalGlobe in Longmont, Colorado.
The company's former name was EarthWatch, changed to DigitalGlobe early this month.
Once in orbit, QuickBird will become the world's highest resolution commercial satellite. It can focus on objects down to just 20-inches (one-half meter) across.
"The U.S. government has stated that it will use commercial imagery to complement the use of U.S.-owned assets. The extent and how they would use our imagery I would defer to government officials," Herring told SPACE.com.
"In general, having more assets on orbit, including commercial satellites, improves the ability to get up-to-date and accurate information specific to any area of interest," Herring said.
Under cover - a hyperspectral view
ORBIMAGE, a part of Orbital Sciences Corporation in Dulles, Virginia, has been working on OrbView-4 for many years. It carries the world's first commercial hyperspectral camera. This leading edge technology can measure the signature of plant species, mineral type, and inland and coastal water features.
While hyperspectral imaging is of great commercial value, the high-tech gear can produce information useful for military applications, said Gilbert Rye, ORBIMAGE's President and Chief Executive Officer.
"It has a lot of potential for a number of different applications. Military and national security communities
are of course interested, because of its ability to, in essence, see through camouflage," Rye told SPACE.com.
"Today's sophisticated adversary can predict in some cases when our satellites are coming over and take evasive action to hide whatever they don't want to be seen. So the ability to see through camouflage or other concealment activities taken by adversaries is very important," Rye said.
Rye said the crisis stemming from terrorist actions highlights the importance of the U.S. government having the option to utilize commercial imaging satellites. "Our government, our friends and allies around the world" can benefit by using commercial spacecraft, he said.
"Looking into the future weeks and months ahead, we would expect to see increased emphasis on our services and capabilities that we can bring to bear," Rye said. Private investment in remote sensing, and the ground gear to operate satellites, is nearly $2 billion, he said.
"It would be a terrible waste if the government couldnt find a way to take advantage of these very valuable assets," Rye said.
Next page: Filling the gap
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