Earth has it's first high resolution imaging satellite in orbit today following its lift-off into the beautiful blue sky from it's California launch site.DigitalGlobe's WorldView-2 satellite was launched into a polar orbit, an orbit which will see the spacecraft cover and create high resolution images of over 94% of the earth's surface as it travels from pole to pole.
Lift-off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg, AFB in California occurred a few minutes late at 2:51 pm EDT (11:51 am local time), due to a battery voltage issue on the Delta rocket.
"There really is nothing quite as exciting as seeing one of these powerful little rockets jump off the pad," stated Col. David Buck - the 30th Space Wing commander- said. "I'm incredibly proud.."
Sixty-one minutes into the launch, the WorldView-2 then separated from the Delta' ssecond stage to begin it's multi-year mission.
WorldView-2 was launched into a 98.5 degree inclination orbit so that it can photograph over 95% of the earth's surface. These new images will be used during the coming years to assist in improving our navigation maps from construction layouts to ecological improvement planning, and oil and new fuel exploration.
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