innerlogics/blog

Satellites have always fascinated me, especially the top-secret military spy satellites that watch us from above. Google Earth, which lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery is one of those rare opportunities to grasp how small our world is. All the drama, politics, internets, families, friends and enemies – all of it, lays on this blue sphere. I can’t wait for the day Google Earth will display real-time imagery of our world…

“What many people don’t know is that USSTRATCOM tracks and publishes a list of over 13,000 objects that they currently monitor. This data is meaningless to most people, but thanks to Analytical Graphics, it has now been made accessible free of charge to anyone with a copy of Google Earth. By grabbing the KMZ, you can not only view all objects tracked in real-time, but you can also click on them to get more information on the specific satellite, including viewing its orbit trajectory. It’s an excellent educational tool for the space-curious.” [Slashdot]

I had to wait for quite some time until I caught OFEQ over Iran though…

By the way, if you haven’t already, check out the 3D buildings in Tel-Aviv, created by Metroscape, and a new BBC series which makes use of satellite technology and data acquired from various other sources to create stunning images of Britain from Above.