New satellite will blow your socks off – and spot them from space

A new satellite set to fly in 2014 will offer the chance to spot objects just 31 centimetres across … from SPAAAAAACE.

WorldView-3 will be thrust 617 kilometres into the heavens atop an Atlas V rocket and will boast several different sensors, the better to provide images to customers including the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which reportedly asked for the inclusion of short-wave infra-red sensors.

The satellite’s owner, DigitalGlobe, is also known to have substantial contracts with military customers. The company has also talked up the new bird’s ability to help the resources sector, thanks to sensors that can distinguish different types of soil — via redwolf.newsvine.com