Space Imaging, the owner of the world’s
first commercial high-resolution earth imaging satellite, has is releasing to
the media a satellite image of a giant jack-o’-lantern planted on a five-acre
corn maze field. This high-resolution satellite image was collected by Space
Imaging’s IKONOS satellite on Sept. 8, 2002. The maze is located on Robert
and Billie Mason’s farm near Pine Mountain State Resort Park, adjacent to the
Kentucky Ridge State Forest in Bell County, Kentucky. The jack-o’-lantern’s
eyes measure 75 feet on each side and the teeth are constructed of sunflowers.
The nose contains a 5-foot-high platform to keep maze visitors from getting
lost.
- True-color image: http://www.spaceimaging.com/gallery/pumpkin/pumpkin_true_colour.jpg
- False-color image: http://www.spaceimaging.com/gallery/pumpkin/pumpkin_false_colour.jpg
The false-color image is displayed in near-infrared, red and green bands
to make a crop’s characteristics more easily visible to the naked eye. The
red areas in this image depict the healthiest vegetation.
The IKONOS images were captured as part of the Kentucky Landscape Snapshot
(KLS) Project. In February, NASA granted $1.3 million to the state of
Kentucky’s Governor’s Office for Technology to monitor, map and assess the
state’s forests and urban environment. Space Imaging signed a three-year
contract with the state of Kentucky to create a high-tech, digital portrait or
map of the entire state. Along with imagery from the US Landsat satellites,
the KLS Project will use Space Imaging’s high-resolution images and processing
technologies to study changes to the state’s natural and man-made landscapes.
The first product to be delivered in the spring of 2003 will be an up-to-date
land cover/land use digital map of Kentucky. The second phase of the contract
involves the development of decision support tools for forest and urban
management. The final phase of the project is to operationalize change
detection methods within various State government agencies.
The 1600-pound IKONOS satellite travels 423 miles above the Earth’s
surface at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour. It’s the world’s first
commercial high-resolution remote sensing satellite and can see objects on the
ground as small as one-meter square. IKONOS has collected more than
900,000 images of the earth’s surface representing imagery over every
continent.
For more information on Space Imaging’s participation in the KLS Snapshot
project, see:
July 14, 2002
“Space Imaging Wins Contract to Participate in a NASA Grant to Monitor
Kentucky’s Changing Environment”
For recent news coverage on the KLS project, visit:
Oct. 20, 2002
Lexington Herald-Leader, A Frightful Sight by Satellite, and “Pictures
from space will map state’s ground cover,” Andy Mead, staff writer
Oct. 21, 2002
The Courier Journal, NASA Grant to Help State Track Changes in Landscape,
Associated Press
About Space Imaging
Space Imaging is a leading supplier of visual information products and
services derived from space imagery and aerial photography. The company
launched the world’s first and only one-meter resolution, commercial Earth
imaging satellite, IKONOS(TM), on Sept. 24, 1999. Other products are produced
from the Indian Remote Sensing satellites, the U.S. Landsat satellites and
Canada’s RADARSAT. Space Imaging also delivers aerial-derived imagery products
collected by its own Digital Airborne Imaging System (DAIS-1(TM)). For more
information about Space Imaging visit its web site at www.spaceimaging.com .
