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Space Imaging Releases Top 10 Ikonos Satellite Images For 2003

Extract of typical Ikonos satellite image. See Space Imaging's Top 10 2003 for more examples.

Denver - Feb. 5, 2004
Space Imaging, the world's leading provider of Earth imagery and related services to commercial and government markets, today released its top 10 images from its Ikonos satellite taken during 2003.

The images, which are featured on Space Imaging's website gallery, include Baghdad, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom; a 17th-century fortress in Bourtange, Netherlands; El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, Calif.; the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center; Lake Arrowhead during the devastating 2003 California fires; Mount St. Helens, Wash.; the Vatican City, featuring St. Peter's Basilica and Square; the Taj Mahal in India; Akkeshi Lake Resort in eastern Hokkaido, Japan; and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, South Africa, one of the 'Seven Natural Wonders of the World.'

Since its launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. On Sept. 24, 1999, Ikonos has logged many milestones that have included taking more than 1.5 million images, which are stored in Space Imaging's digital archive, Collated imagery covering more than 188 million sq. km. of the Earth's surface. Each day Ikonos on average collects more than 1,100 images per day, equating to more than 133,000 sq. km. per day

In mid-2003, satellite builder Lockheed Martin Space Systems released an updated lifetime analysis for the Ikonos satellite. The report, developed with nearly four years of on-orbit operational data, stated the Ikonos subsystems are expected to last longer than originally anticipated.

Based on this evaluation, Ikonos' life expectancy is estimated to be more than eight years, far exceeding the original seven-year design life. Ikonos is expected to perform at full performance until at least the late-2007 timeframe if not longer. Historically, spacecraft far exceed their original design lifetimes and can often be operated successfully for many years, occasionally at degraded levels of performance.

Commonly thought of as high-quality geospatial data, there's no denying the visual beauty and richness of Ikonos imagery. An in-house committee reviewed hundreds of images in the process to find the most spectacular images taken in 2003. Many of the images come from Space Imaging's dozen Regional Affiliates located around the globe. This is the fourth year Space Imaging has selected the top 10 images.

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