QuickBird


QuickBird satellite
 
The QuickBird satellite
 
 
QuickBird is a commercial satellite from the company DigitalGlobe. It was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on 18 October 2001. At the time of its launch, it was the highest resolution commercial satellite in operation. Now there are optical satellite sensors with even higher spatial resolution, including the WorldView satellites also operated by DigitalGlobe.

QuickBird circles the globe 600 km above the Earth, while the QuickBird sensor, a high resolution camera, gathers images of the Earth's surface during daylight hours.
 
 
Miyake-jima volcano
   
This is a 2.44 metre false colour multispectral image of the Miyake-jima volcano
 
The system collects 61 centimetre panchromatic and 2.5 metre multispectral stereoscopic data. QuickBird is designed to efficiently and accurately cover large areas with great accuracy.

The QuickBird spacecraft is capable of acquiring over 75 million square kilometres of imagery data annually (over three times the size of North America). The data contributes to mapping, agricultural and urban planning, weather research, and military surveillance.
 
 
  
Last update: 20 January 2011


Earth observation satellites

 •  Introduction (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEM7YN6SXIG_0.html)
 •  Landsat (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMHB04Z2OF_0.html)
 •  ERS (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMFZ04Z2OF_0.html)
 •  RESURS (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMQ614Z2OF_0.html)
 •  Envisat (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMR314Z2OF_0.html)
 •  SPOT (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMIW04Z2OF_0.html)

Meteorological satellites

 •  Meteosat (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEM6BY3Z2OF_0.html)
 •  Meteosat Second Generation (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMTNY3Z2OF_0.html)
 •  MetOp (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMS1O6SXIG_0.html)
 •  NOAA (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMDQY3Z2OF_0.html)

Earth Explorer satellites

 •  Introduction (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMUYN6SXIG_0.html)
 •  GOCE (http://www.esa.int/esaLP/LPgoce.html)
 •  SMOS (http://www.esa.int/esaLP/LPsmos.html)
 •  CryoSat-2 (http://www.esa.int/esaLP/LPcryosat.html)

Commercial high resolution optical satellites

 •  IKONOS (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEMI714Z2OF_0.html)
 •  WorldView (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/SEM43O6SXIG_0.html)

More information

 •  QuickBird (http://www.digitalglobe.com/index.php/85/QuickBird)
 •  Technical specifications - Quickbird (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/eduspace/QUICKBIRD.pdf)