ISRO to rival Google in satellite imagery

ISRO to rival Google in satellite imagery

To launch its own satellite imagery on the Internet in six months

Friday, May 23, 2008

KOLKATA, INDIA: Google may soon find a rival in its popular mapping service Google Earth.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has decided to launch its own satellite imagery on the Internet six months from now.

"Our images are better. These images will be on our website six months from now," said ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair.

Nair said that ISRO is figuring out those locations with high security risks, which are prohibited by law from being imaged.

"The remaining places would be on the net," he told reporters.

According to him India has the world's largest number of Remote Sensing Satellites (RSS).

"With seven satellites in orbit, our RSSs provide imagery of the earth in a variety of spectral bands and with a resolution of better than one meter. Data from our RSSs are received at about 20 stations across various parts of the globe including the US and Europe," he said.

He also said that the Village Resource Center (VRC) established in 2004 were providing a variety of space-based products and services including tele-education, tele-medicine and information on natural resources.

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