Very High Resolution and Very Low Orbit
Will 10 cm satellite imagery from very low orbit change the high end of the market?
Chapter summary
The US government relaxed the resolution limit for commercial optical imagery to 25 cm in 2014, and Vantor's 30 cm is the commercial benchmark.
Key takeaways
- 1
Flying lower makes sharper images possible with smaller telescopes: Albedo launched its first very-low-Earth-orbit (VLEO) satellite, Clarity-1, in 2025, aiming at 10 cm optical and 2 m thermal imagery.
- 2
VLEO brings air drag that shortens satellite life and needs propulsion, and NOAA licensing determines what may be sold.
- 3
If 10 cm imagery becomes reliable and affordable, it competes with aerial photography and would pressure the 30 cm incumbents; privacy questions grow with resolution.
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