[Satellite Today – 6-10-08] The glass mirror blank for GeoEye’s next-generation Earth imaging has been delivered to camera manufacturer ITT Corp., GeoEye announced June 10.
    GeoEye awarded a contract in October to ITT for the development of the camera for GeoEye-2. ITT’s Space Systems Division will begin grinding and polishing the mirror, which measures 1.1 meters in diameter, later this summer. GeoEye-2 will be able to collect imagery with a ground resolution of 0.25 meters.
    “By beginning work on the advanced camera and electronics early, we will keep to a schedule so we are able to launch GeoEye-2 in the 2011-2012 timeframe,” Bill Schuster, GeoEye’s COO, said in a statement. “With the delivery of the glass to ITT, we are demonstrating that GeoEye can be counted on in the long run to be a provider of map accurate satellite imagery as we move to select a satellite builder later this year.”