DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-4 satellite was sent into orbit today to capture high-resolution, multispectral imagery of Earth, almost two months after California’s wildfires forced a launch delay.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 10:30 a.m. PT to send the RV-sized satellite into space. About 45 minutes later, DigitalGlobe received signals from the spacecraft confirming that it was in good health in its intended near-sun-synchronous orbit.
Like WorldView-3, which went into orbit in 2014, WorldView-4 can provide black-and-white imagery of Earth’s surface with one-foot resolution, and multispectral views to a resolution of 4 feet per pixel. The visible-light pictures feed into the mapping services provided by the likes of Google, while the multispectral views can be used to monitor crop growth and urban planning.
