QuickBird imaging spacecraft DIGITALGLOBE FACT SHEET
Posted: October 15, 2001
An artist's concept of the QuickBird saatellite deployed in space. Photo: DigitalGlobe
The QuickBird satellite is the first in a constellation of spacecraft that DigitalGlobe is developing that offers highly accurate, commercial high-resolution imagery of Earth. QuickBird's global collection of panchromatic and multispectral imagery is designed to support applications ranging from map publishing to land and asset management to insurance risk assessment.
Today, DigitalGlobe's QuickBird is the only spacecraft able to offer sub-meter resolution imagery, industry-leading geolocational accuracy, large on-board data storage, and an imaging footprint 2 to 10 times larger than any other commercial high-resolution satellite. Moreover, DigitalGlobe is able to populate and update our digitalglobe.com archive at unprecedented speed because QuickBird's system features allow us to efficiently and accurately collect over 75 million square kilometers of imagery data annually.
Features
Highest resolution sensors available commercially
61-cm (2-ft) panchromatic at nadir
2.44-m (8-ft) multispectral at nadir
Industry-leading image accuracy
Stable platform for precise location measurement
3-axis stabilized, star tracker/IRU/reaction wheels, C/A Code GPS
Fastest large area collection
16.5-km width imaging swath
128 Gbits on-board image storage capacity
High image quality
Off-axis unobscured design of QuickBird's telescope
Large field-of-regard
High contrast (MTF)
High signal to noise ratio
11 bit dynamic range
Small Instantaneous field of view
Benefits
Acquire high-quality satellite imagery for map creation, change detection, and image analysis
Geolocate features to within 23 meters (75.5 feet) and create maps in remote areas without the use of ground control points
Collect a greater supply of frequently updated global imagery products more quickly than competitive systems
Extend the range of suitable imaging collection targets and enhance image interpretability because images can be acquired at even the lowest light levels without sacrificing image quality
Reduced image distortion
Quick Facts
Launch Information
Date: October 2001
Vehicle: Delta II
Location: Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Orbit
Altitude:450 km - 98 degree, sun-synchronous inclination
Revisit frequency: 1 to 3.5 days depending on latitude at 70-centimeter resolution
Viewing angle: Agile spacecraft --track and cross-track pointing
Period: 93.4 minutes
Per Orbit Collection: ~128 gigabits (approximately 57 single area images)
Swath Width & Area Size
Nominal swath width: 16.5-kilometers at nadir
Accessible ground swath: 544 km centered on the satellite ground track
Areas of interest:
Single Area - 16.5 km x 16.5 km
Strip - 16.5 km x 165 km
Metric Accuracy: 14.0m RMSE (46.0ft)
Sensor Resolution & Spectral Bandwidth
Panchromatic:
61-centimeter GSD (Ground Sample Distance)at nadir
Black &White:450 to 900 nanometers
Multispectral:
2.44-meter GSD at nadir
Blue: 450 to 520 nanometers
Green: 520 to 600 nanometers
Red: 630 to 690 nanometers
Near-IR: 760 to 900 nanometers
Communications
Payload Data: 320 Mbps X-band
Housekeeping: X-band from 4,16 and 256 Kbps; 2 Kbps S-band uplink
Pointing and Agility
Accuracy: <0.5 milliradians absolute per axis
Knowledge: <15 microradians per axis
Stability: <10 microradians per second
Onboard Storage: 128 Gbits capacity
Spacecraft
5 year design life
2100 pounds, 3.04-meters (10-ft)in length
Design & Specifications
QuickBird was designed and built by our strategic partners, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Kodak, and Fokker Space, all leaders in their fields. By utilizing proven technology from each supplier, DigitalGlobe has developed a state-of-the-art, satellite system built from pace-qualified components. This system successfully meets DigitalGlobe's demanding performance requirements for high image quality,robust image collection, and long mission life.
Flight Data File Vehicle: Delta 2 (7320) Payload: QuickBird Launch date: Oct. 18, 2001 Launch window: 1851-1906 GMT (2:51-3:06 p.m. EDT) Launch site: SLC-2W, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Satellite broadcast: Galaxy 11, Ku-band, Freq.: 11960 H Pre-launch briefing Launch preview - Our story giving a complete report on the upcoming launch. Launch timeline - Chart with times and descriptions of events to occur during the launch. Delta 2 rocket - Overview of the Delta 2 7320-model rocket used to launch QuickBird. SLC-2W - The launch pad where Delta rocket fly from Vandenberg. Delta directory - See our coverage of preview Delta rocket flights. Ride a rocket! A 50-minute VHS video cassette from Spaceflight Now features spectacular "rocketcam" footage from April's launch of NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey probe. Available from the Astronomy Now Store in NTSC format (North America and Japan) and PAL (UK, most of Europe, Australia and other countries). Flight of Atlantis A 59-minute VHS video cassette from Spaceflight Now captures the highlights of the July mission of shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station. Available from the Astronomy Now Store in NTSC format (North America and Japan) and PAL (UK, most of Europe, Australia and other countries). Hubble Posters Stunning posters featuring images from the Hubble Space Telescope and world-renowned astrophotographer David Malin are now available from the Astronomy Now Store. U.S. STORE U.K. & WORLDWIDE STORE Get e-mail updates
Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop (privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose). Baseball caps NEW! The NASA "Meatball" logo appears on a series of stylish baseball caps available now from the Astronomy Now Store. U.S. STORE U.K. & WORLDWIDE STORE
A 50-minute VHS video cassette from Spaceflight Now features spectacular "rocketcam" footage from April's launch of NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey probe. Available from the Astronomy Now Store in NTSC format (North America and Japan) and PAL (UK, most of Europe, Australia and other countries).
A 59-minute VHS video cassette from Spaceflight Now captures the highlights of the July mission of shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station. Available from the Astronomy Now Store in NTSC format (North America and Japan) and PAL (UK, most of Europe, Australia and other countries).
Stunning posters featuring images from the Hubble Space Telescope and world-renowned astrophotographer David Malin are now available from the Astronomy Now Store.
U.S. STORE
NEW! The NASA "Meatball" logo appears on a series of stylish baseball caps available now from the Astronomy Now Store.