gSat Comes to Life
Written by Chad on September 2nd, 2008April 1st, 2005.. On that day I said that Google has their own satellite called gSat, at that time it was an April Fools joke. Well, in late 2008 it is no longer really an April Fools joke.
Google has made an exclusive arrangement with GeoEye that Google will be the exclusive online mapping firm for imagery from their new satellite - which is scheduled to launch this week (on September 4th). This follows a similar arrangement Google has had with DigitalGlobe, another satellite company, for years now. Not only that, as part of the deal, Google’s logo is being flown on the side of the rocket.
But it is funny how back them people thought it would be a joke for Google to do this.. now look three years later. My prediction availabilities are on par with Carnac the Magnificent.
- CARNAC: Don’t Be Evil.
- ED McMAHON: Don’t Be Evil.
- (Carnac rips the envelope open and removes the card)
- CARNAC (reading): What people hope Google still is.
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Wow, that is amazing. Well google certainly has the bucks to do it! Hope to see a photo of that logo on the outside.
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Unless something happens to upset their plans, it would seem that in our lifetimes Google will have resources and knowledge about us equal to or beyond that of the government.
I really hope that my joking remains just that, joking.
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Actually Chad if I remember correctly most people didn’t think the gsat story was a joke, especially the Google worshippers on the keyhole forums.
It is worrying how much imagery they now have locked up in exclusive deals though, if any other company did this there would be monopoly investigations.
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FYI…Google isn’t the sole source of funding for this satellite. NGA put some money in to it also.
Others are going to receive the imagery too, just not other online mapping outfits, like yahoo, microsoft and the like.
KoS