As of today when Google reported they'll be able to identify objects >16.1" small in their mapping products, I decided it's time to stop believing I've ever privately sunbathed naked on the beach since that's now broadcast to everyone in the entire world.

The new GeoEye-1 satellite is being launched by GeoEye, a Dulles, VA based provider of satellite and aerial imagery to spooks and their corporate equivalents, and Google's negotiated exclusive rights to the data.  According to GeoEye, their purportedly unprecedented .41 meter (16.1") resolution won't be available to civilians due to US Government licensing. The datasets will be downsampled to half-meter resolution and censored edited for your safety and convenience. The launch date is confirmed for Sept 4th, and can be watched live form the GeoEye website if you're particularly bored at 11:50:57a PDT that day.

That's cool and all, but I'm waiting for the GeoEye-2 with the whole world at 25cm resolution. It's already under development by the large conglomerate ITT Corp and set to launch ≈2011. There'll likely still be that pesky 50cm downsampling restriction by the DoD unless one has a PreferedMembers® Club  PlatinumRewards™ card for their purchases at the NRO store like Britain et al. (-;