DigitalGlobe and GeoEye will provide satellite imagery to support an international group that provides data free of charge to those affected by disasters, the U.S. Geological Survey announced April 12.
The International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” was initiated by the European Space Agency and CNES, the French space agency, in July 1999 and has provided services about 125 times since its inception.
DigitalGlobe will supply imagery from its QuickBird satellite, while GeoEye will contribute data collected by the Ikonos satellite. Both spacecraft can collect imagery with a ground resolution of 1 meter. The two companies will donate some archived imagery and provide new imagery at a reduced cost.
Other members include: the British National Space Center/Disaster Monitoring Constellation, the Canadian Space Agency, the Indian Space Research Organization, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.