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Terra Bella’s Four New SkySat Satellites Send Back First Pictures

By Caleb Henry | September 28, 2016
      SkySat 4 Terra Bella Google

      A SkySat 4 image over Google headquarters in Mountain View, California on Sept. 23, 2016. Photo: Terra Bella.

      [Via Satellite 09-28-2016] Google’s Terra Bella has released the first on orbit images from the SkySat 4 through 7 satellites. Terra Bella’s constellation now counts seven total in orbit satellites. The latest four launched Sept. 15 aboard an Arianespace Vega rocket.

      The released images are unturned and uncalibrated, and show Rome, Italy; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Algeciras, Spain; and Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California.

      SkySats 4 through 7 are the first four of 13 satellites Terra Bella ordered from manufacturer Space Systems Loral (SSL) in 2014. Terra Bella later ordered another six satellites from SSL. The company has six more satellites scheduled to launch on an Orbital ATK Minotaur rocket in the fourth quarter of this year.

      According to Terra Bella, its first three satellites alone have collected more than 100 million images since their respective launches.