On 24 September 1999, a new era in satellite remote sensing started with the successful launch of Space Imaging’s IKONOS satellite. IKONOS is the world's first high-resolution commercial satellite to offer 1-metre Earth imagery. Onboard sensors can point both along and across the satellite track, providing a revisit capability of 1-3 days.
The IKONOS Satellite was launched in 1999. IKONOS is owned and operated by DigitalGlobe and collects image data down to a pixel resolution of 0.82 m.
Onboard sensors can point both along and across track, providing a revisit capability of 1-3 days depending on latitude. The satellite simultaneously captures 0.82 m panchromatic (black & white) and 3.28 m multispectral (colour) digital imagery.
The panchromatic and multispectral datasets are available separately or can be purchased as combined (pan-sharpened) 0.82 m multispectral imagery.
| Resolution | Panchromatic (B & W) 82 cm (nadir) Multispectral 3.2 m (nadir) |
|---|---|
| Nominal Swath Width | 11 km at nadir |
| Bands |
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| Archive Availability | Possible archive from 1999. |
| Programmable? | Yes |
| Minimum area of purchase | 25 sq km from archive (5 km x 5 km) 100 sq km for new capture (10 km x 10 km) Minimum width 5 km Minimum segment length 5 km |
| Stereo available? | Yes |
| Best Scale | 1:4,000 |
| Dynamic Range | 11 bits |
| Applications | Telecommunications Land use and planning Infrastructure planning Marine studies Mapping /Surveying Civil Engineering Utility corridor mapping Natural Resources Mining and Exploration Oil and Gas Tourism AgricultureDEM generation Environmental assessment |
