GeoEye
James Alan Abrahamson (chairman), Matthew O'Connell, (CEO)[1] | |
Revenue | US$183.76 million (2007)[2] |
---|---|
US$80.33 million (2007)[2] | |
US$42.39 million (2007)[2] | |
Total assets | US$789.95 million (2007)[2] |
Total equity | US$216.92 million (2007)[2] |
Number of employees | 410 (2008)[2] |
GeoEye Inc. (formerly Orbital Imaging Corporation, or ORBIMAGE) was an American commercial satellite imagery company based in Herndon, Virginia.[3] GeoEye was merged into the DigitalGlobe corporation on January 29, 2013.[4]
The company was founded in 1992 as a division of
Although ORBIMAGE's first chairman was Orbital chairman David W. Thompson, and Orbital at the time owned more than 60 percent of the stock, it no longer has a substantial interest in the company or its successor.[6]
GeoEye provided 253 million km2 (98 million sq mi) of satellite map images to Microsoft and Yahoo! search engines. In 2008 Google secured exclusive online mapping use of the GeoEye-1 satellite.[7] GeoEye maintained major contracts with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for the provision of reconnaissance and imagery data.
In the early twenty-first century GeoEye was headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Satellite Operations were conducted from Herndon and Thornton, Colorado. The location in St. Louis, Missouri provided additional image processing. Multiple ground stations were located worldwide.
In 2011, GeoEye was inducted into the
GeoEye was purchased by DigitalGlobe in 2013.
Satellites
OrbView 1
OrbView 1 (MicroLab 1, COSPAR 1995-017C) was a small, 68 kg satellite built by
IKONOS
Launched in 1999 by Space Imaging, IKONOS collected 82 cm (32 in) panchromatic and 3.2 m (10 ft) multispectral data at a rate of over 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi) per minute. IKONOS orbited the Earth every 98 minutes at an altitude of approximately 681 km (423 mi). It traveled a
OrbView-2
The OrbView-2 satellite (COSPAR 1997-037A), also called SeaStar, was launched 1 August 1997 by ORBIMAGE on a
OrbView-3
Launched 26 June 2003 by ORBIMAGE, OrbView-3 (COSPAR 2003-030A) commercial Earth observation satellite acquired 1 m (3.3 ft) panchromatic and 4 m (13 ft) multispectral imagery in an 8-kilometer-wide swath. The satellite collected up to 210,000 km2 (81,000 sq mi) of imagery each day. It revisited each location on Earth in less than three days with the ability to collect data up to 50 degrees off nadir. Similar to IKONOS, this satellite passed a given longitude at 10:30 a.m. local time.
The satellite was launched from
On April 23, 2007, GeoEye, Inc. filed a Form 8-K to announce that its OrbView-3 satellite is permanently out of service. Though GeoEye remained in control of the satellite, it no longer produced usable imagery (the imaging sensor failed 4 March 2007).[15][16] The spacecraft decayed on March 13, 2011 via a controlled reentry into Pacific Ocean.[17]
OrbView 4
OrbView 4 was a high-resolution commercial Earth imaging satellite that was lost in launch failure. It would have recorded 1 m (3.3 ft) panchromatic and 4 m (13 ft) multispectral imagery in an 8-kilometer-wide swath, like OrbView-3, and it also would have provided 200 channel hyperspectral imagery. It was to revisit every location on Earth in less than 3 days. The main instrument OHRIS (OrbView High Resolution Imaging System) was built by Northrop Grumman. The satellite bus was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation. The mass of the satellite was 368 kg. It was lost in a launch failure. On 21 September 2001, a Taurus XL rocket failed during launch. When the second stage ignited at T+83 seconds, a nozzle gimbal actuator drive shaft seized for approximately 5 seconds causing loss of control. The vehicle recovered and continued to fly the mission profile, but failed to reach a stable orbit and reentered near Madagascar.[18]
GeoEye-1
GeoEye-1 (Former name OrbView 5) launched on September 6, 2008 at 11:50:57 a.m. PDT (1850:57 UTC). The satellite separated successfully from its
GeoEye-2
The GeoEye-2 satellite is designed to provide
Following the merger of GeoEye and DigitalGlobe, DigitalGlobe announced that GeoEye-2 would be completed as a ground spare to be launched if or when required.[23][24] It was renamed to WorldView-4 in July 2014, when the company announced that it would be launched in 2016.[25][26]
WorldView-4 launched on 11 November 2016.
Aerial imagery
GeoEye expanded into aerial imagery in March 2007, with the purchase of MJ Harden from General Electric Company.[27] MJ Harden, based in Mission, Kansas, is now a wholly owned subsidiary that operates two aircraft that carry a digital mapping camera (DMC) and a sophisticated LiDAR imaging system. MJ Harden was founded by Milton J. Harden in 1956 to provide photogrammetry services.[28] GE Power Systems bought the company in 2003.[29]
Regional affiliates
References
- ^ "(Interview with Matt O'Connell)". Future Tense. American Public Media. 2008-06-26.
- ^ a b c d e f "GeoEye Inc.: NASDAQ:GEOY quotes & news - Google Finance". Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "Company Search". Reuters.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "DigitalGlobe Announces Final Results of Merger Consideration Elections Made by GeoEye Stockholders". Marketwire.com. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ John Pike (2006-01-12). "ORBIMAGE Completes Acquisition of Space Imaging; Changes Brand Name to GeoEye". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "Orbital". Archived from the original on February 9, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2008.
- ^ Shankland, Stephen (2008-08-29). "Google to buy GeoEye satellite imagery | Internet & Media - CNET News". News.cnet.com. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "Space Tech Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ^ "Space Foundation, SPACE.com and Space News unite to raise funds for France schools". Space Foundation. 2001-12-17. Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ Kerbs, Gunter, D (2023), OrbView 1 (MicroLab 1), Gunter Space Page
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "IKONOS 20 year anniversary". maxar.com. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Orbview" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 17, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2008.
- ^ NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center (December 1, 2011). "Ocean Color Browse". Retrieved December 1, 2011.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter, D (2023), OrbView 2 (SeaStar), Gunter Space Page
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "OrbView 3 satellite malfunctions". spacetoday.net. 2007-03-10. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "e8vk". Sec.gov. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter, D (2023), OrbView 3, Gunter Space Page
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Krebs, Gunter, D (2023), OrbView 4, Gunter Space Page
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Justin Ray. "Delta 2-335 Mission Status Center". Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ "WorldView-4" (PDF). DigitalGlobe. November 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ Ferster, Warren (11 March 2010). "Lockheed Martin Selected To Build GeoEye-2 Imaging Satellite". Space News. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
- ITT Exelis. Archived from the originalon 29 May 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
- ^ "DigitalGlobe's WorldView-3 Satellite Continues on Track for Mid-2014 Launch" (Press release). DigitalGlobe. 4 February 2013. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013.
- ^ Ray, Justin (4 February 2013). "One commercial Earth-imager deferred in favor of another". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ "DigitalGlobe Announces Second 30-Centimeter Satellite to Launch in Mid-2016" (Press release). DigitalGlobe. 31 July 2014. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
- ^ Painter, Kristen Leigh (31 July 2014). "Demand moves DigitalGlobe to speed launch of high-powered satellite". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
- ^ "GeoEye Acquires MJ Harden Aerial Business From GE Oil & Gas - Directions Magazine". Directionsmag.com. 2007-03-16. Archived from the original on 2010-05-20. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "CorpSite" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 15, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
- ^ "Power Systems buys M.J. Harden Associates in Kansas City - Albany Business Review". Bizjournals.com. 2003-08-21. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
External links
- GeoFUSE Archive Search and Discovery Tools - Search for GeoEye satellite imagery online
- GeoEye Image Gallery
- GeoEye Foundation