European Space Imaging unveils first WorldView-2 images collected from its European Direct Access Facility (DAF)
March 19, 2010 European Space Imaging a leading supplier of high-resolution satellite imagery to customers in Europe and North Africa, today released the first images collected from DigitalGlobe’s advanced high-resolution satellite WorldView-2, through its Direct Access Facility located in Munich, Germany. Initial images captured during its calibration include the city of Barcelona.



Commercial operation for the European DAF is expected to commence on target at the end of the first quarter 2010. Once operational, the DAF will provide WorldView Global Alliance customers with priority tasking through a direct data downlink from WorldView-2, the world’s first commercial 8-band high-resolution satellite at 0.46 meter* GSD panchromatic and 1.84 meter multi-spectral.  

The Alliance DAF will allow European Space Imaging to take into account local real-time weather data to deliver efficient area collections, improved image quality with reduced cloud cover and same-day production and delivery.

European Space Imaging is working closely with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in the set-up and ongoing maintenance of the DAF. EUSI continues to be the only European satellite data provider that operates its own high-resolution satellite ground station for direct satellite tasking and local data downlink.

*Due to U.S. Government regulations imagery will be resampled to 0.5 meter resolution.

The full resolution image of Barcelona can be downloaded here (90 MB).