[Source: Satellite imaging corporation ]

WorldView-1, DigitalGlobe’s earth imaging satellite, completed a successful launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, U.S.A., at 11:35 Hrs Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on September 18th, 2007. The Delta II rocket lifted off in good weather and the WorldView-1 satellite is « currently undergoing a calibration and check-out period, » according to DigitalGlobe. The first panchromatic image data should become available before October 18th, 2007.

The high-capacity, panchromatic imaging system features half-meter resolution imagery. Operating at an altitude of 496 kilometers, WorldView-1 will have an average revisit time of 1.7 days and will be capable of collecting up to 750,000 square kilometers (290,000 square miles) per day of half-meter imagery. The satellite will also be equipped with state-of-the-art geo-location accuracy capabilities and will exhibit stunning agility with rapid targeting and efficient in-track stereo collection.

WorldView-1 Satellite Sensor Characteristics

Scheduled Launch Date September 18, 2007
Launch Vehicle Boeing Delta 7920 (9-strap-ons)
Launch Location Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA
Orbit Altitude 496 Km
Orbit Inclination sun-synchronous
Spacecraft Size, Mass & Power 3.6 meters (12 feet) tall x 2.5 meters (8 feet) across,
7.1 meters (23 feet) across the deployed solar arrays
2500 kilograms (5500 pounds)
3.2 kW solar array, 100 Ahr battery
Equator Crossing Time 10:30 AM (descending node)
Revisit Time 1.7 days at 1 meter GSD or less
5.9 days at 20° off-nadir or less (0.51 meter GSD)
Swath Width 17.6 Km at nadir
Orbit Time 94.6 minutes
Dynamic Range 11 bits per pixel
Resolution 0.50 meters GSD at nadir0.55 meters GSD at 20° off-nadir
(note that imagery must be re-sampled to 0.5 meters for non-US Government customers)
Sensor Bands Panchromatic
Metric Accuracy Accuracy: <500 meters at image start and stop
Knowledge: Supports geolocation accuracy below
Geolocation Accuracy
(CE 90%)
Specification of 12.2 m CE90, with predicted performance in the range of 3.0 to 7.6 meters (10 to 25 feet) CE90, excluding terrain and off-nadir effectsWith registration to GCPs in image: 2.0 meters (6.6 feet)
Retargeting Ability Acceleration: 2.5 deg/s/s
Rate: 4.5 deg/s
Time to slew 300 kilometers: 9 seconds
Attitude Determination and Control 3-axis stabilized
Actuators: Control Moment Gyros (CMGs)
Sensors: Star trackers, solid state IRU, GPS
Onboard Storage 2199 gigabits solid state with EDAC
Communications Image and Ancillary Data: 800 Mbps X-band
Housekeeping: 4, 16 or 32 kbps real-time, 524 kbps stored, X-band
Command: 2 or 64 kbps S-band
Max Viewing Angle /
Accessible Ground Swath
60 x 110 km mono
30 x 110 km stereo