Google gets world's highest-resolution imagery from GeoEye-1

Google has signed an exclusive contract with provider of geospatial information for US national security, GeoEye Inc, under which GeoEye will supply the search giant with imagery from GeoEye-1 satellite.

On Saturday GeoEye said that it had successfully launched and deployed the world's highest resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite, the GeoEye-1.

The 4,300-pound GeoEye-1 satellite, which costs more than $500 million, was launched into space into a 423-mile orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

GeoEye's ground station in Norway relayed the downlink signal it received from GeoEye-1 confirming that the satellite had successfully separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle and began automatically initialising its onboard systems.

Under the deal, Google will be the exclusive online mapping site that would have exclusive rights over the imagery, apart from defence agencies.

Google, which uses satellite imagery in its Google Maps and Google Earth, has imagery spanning 15 square meters per pixel, which is only good enough to see larger geographic features.