DigitalGlobe has received support from the intelligence community for the company’s bid to sell high-resolution satellite images in a move to stay competitive globally, Reuters reported Monday.
Warren Strobel and Andrea Shalal write Colorado-based DigitalGlobe requested government approval nearly a year ago for its plan to develop 50-centimeter image resolutions.
“We are hopeful that the administration will act promptly on this issue to advance the nation’s commanding lead in this strategically important industry,” said Walter Scott, founder and chief technical officer at DigitalGlobe, according to the report
Progress made by non-U.S. companies to increase their space imagery resolution prompted the intelligence community to support DigitalGlobe’s bid, according to the report.
National Intelligence Director James Clapper told an industry conference that other agencies must also approve the proposal for sharper space imagery, the report says.
DigitalGlobe is set to launch its WorldView 3 satellite in August with the goal of marketing images with resolution of up to 31 centimeters, Reuters reports.