The Risks, page-3

http://www.digitalglobe.com/

http://gizmodo.com/the-super-imaging-satellite-that-will-double-google-map-1621023970

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DigitalGlobe

US and rest of the world isn't restricted by technology, but by regulations, and the Fed is starting to ease those restrictions. US Govt recently just lifted the restriction on images from 50cm to 30cm for satellites.

Apparently they plan to half that limit again in 2016

"DigitalGlobe formally notified the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of WorldView-3’s IOC, which means that beginning on February 21, 2015, we will able to deliver 30 cm imagery to all of our customers. "

"Satellite vs. Aerial
WorldView-3 satellite imagery, is highly competitive with aerial — in cost, availability and quick accessibility for the customer. In the two examples below we show the Rotterdam, Netherlands port facility and the associated oil storage facilities. The first is a 40 cm resolution satellite image and the second is a 30 cm aerial image over the same area. When you compare the two images, the 40 cm satellite image shows similar level of visual information and detail as the aerial image. However, professionals in the oil and gas industry understand that acquiring new aerial imagery is costly, especially in remote regions. Moreover, with aerial imagery, you have the additional permitting, import procedures, logistics considerations, and delays to consider, which add expense and time to your project."

WorldView-3 40 cm Satellite Image



"Full Coverage and Quick Access
WorldView-3 imagery is available over any location in the world, as shown in this next detailed example on an oil facility island in the Caspian Sea. In fact, WorldView-3 and the five other high resolution satellites that DigitalGlobe owns and operates each orbit the Earth 15 times per day. WorldView-3, specifically, has an average revisit time of less than one day and is capable of collecting up to 680,000 km2 per day, further enhancing the DigitalGlobe capacity for more rapid and reliable imaging over an area of interest."

http://www.digitalglobeblog.com/


Nearmap is what 3-7cm?  Though of course not global.

For a lot of customers 30cm will be more than enough resolution. By the time Nearmap is operating in US 2016 Digitalglobe could be able to provide images of 15cm - 20cm

Nothing technically advanced about images of 7cm, Blackbird had a resolution of 12cm  from 85,000 feet in the 1960s while doing Mach 3


Kat.