OTD in Space – August 13: WorldView-3 Earth-Observing Satellite Launches into Orbit
- 2 years ago
On Aug. 13, 2014, a company called DigitalGlobe launched what was then the sharpest-eyed satellite of all time. [‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com](https://www.space.com/39251-on-this-day-in-space.html)
WorldView-3 is a high-resolution imaging satellite that can resolve features as small as 1 foot (31 centimeters) across. Its instruments allow it to peer through fog and smoke to see Earth's surface at a level of detail that was unprecedented for a nongovernmental spacecraft. WorldView-3 lifted off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and has been orbiting the Earth ever since.
WorldView-3 is a high-resolution imaging satellite that can resolve features as small as 1 foot (31 centimeters) across. Its instruments allow it to peer through fog and smoke to see Earth's surface at a level of detail that was unprecedented for a nongovernmental spacecraft. WorldView-3 lifted off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and has been orbiting the Earth ever since.