GeoEye-1 successfully launched - now even spookier pics available

One of of the many archived posts which gets visited almost every day is one of Thursday, April 20, 2006 which has links to images from the IKONOS satellite launched on September 24, 1999 from Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California This has a polar, circular, sun-synchronous 681-km orbit and both sensors have a swath width of 11 km. Its weight is 1600 pounds (720 kg).

The sample images London Millenium Dome and London Millenium Dome and Ghardaia, Algeria never seem to lose their fascination to visitors - and well worth a look - these are taken from 681 Km above the Earth.

We mentioned the successor GeoEye-1, which will have a ground resolution of .41-meter panchromatic (IKONOS = 1 m) and 1.65-meter multispectral (IKONOS = 4 m) and was due to be launched in early 2007. Due to U.S. licensing restrictions, commercial customers (Google are signed up on an exclusive deal for Google Earth) will get access to imagery at half-meter ground resolution.

Well yesterday the 4310-pound GeoEye-1 which was as built by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems in Gilbert, Ariz. with an imaging system built by ITT in Rochester, NY threw off the sullenbonds of earth on top of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California 11:50 a.m. PDT .

GeoEye's ground station in Norway relayed the downlink signal it received from GeoEye-1 to the HQ in Virginia confirming that the satellite successfully separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle and began automatically initializing its onboard systems.

Bill Schuster, GeoEye chief operating officer, said, "Based upon the data we saw, the satellite is performing properly and ready to begin the next phase towards meeting its mission requirements." GeoEye-1 will now undergo a calibration and check-out period before imagery products will be available for sale.

Matthew O'Connell, GeoEye chief executive officer, said, "Later this fall, we will start providing high-resolution color imagery of the Earth from our newest satellite to customers around the globe. " ... which will include providing information to check up on EU farmers claims for subsidy.

Here is an image of the Birds Nest Peking Olympic Stadium and Swimming Arena from IKONOS. Rangoon before and after cyclone damage and Washington DC

This for example is an image of Hanslope Park

Hanslope Park, Bucks. FCO spook Palace expands in £320 MN facelift

Her Majesty's Government Communications Centre (HMGCC) This absorbs 80% of the Hanslope Park estate and also is home to MI6's Technical Security Department (TSD), staffed by SIS operatives who process and analyse data sent from GCHQ in Cheltenham and Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire, especially data intercepted from the foreign embassies in London.

I am a Mond - Shards of Glass has a fascinating insight into being interviewed for a job here ...

The site was large and was surrounded by lots of high, barbed fences. There was even inner "walls" (like a castle but with fences, if you know what I mean? Yes? No? N/A?). I first went to the reception to get signed in (they checked the letter in invitated Ii received and my passport), then onto the gatehouse of the main building to get my visitors pass and hand in my mobile fone and digital camera. According to the sign this was a "sterile area" :O. Through some more security doors in the main building I was greeted by Vicki who gave me a introduction, what to expect, etc. A sign said that the "Security Level" was "Black" - just so you know.

The interview took place in a room which you could only reach by going back out the main building. It was conducted by a engineer guy who asked some technical questions and a recruitment lady who asked, surprisingly, HR-type questions on teamwork, why I applied, what my interests are, etc. The technical questions varied from electronic ones like design an XOR gate using NANDs and aliasing due to oversampling to software ones like what languages I was comfortable with. Nothing very difficult.

So I thought it went well! I got a letter in this morning saying that I got thought to the final interview panel stage so that's good news! :D

Acceptance is conditional upon security clearance and a vetting procedure, which can take between 4 and 15 weeks!! :O They need five references, check everything to do with my background, drug test and how much alcohol I consume (hopefully by not checking my anus as my dad insists but by checking my hair as Iain suggests).