Ball Aerospace is the company that provides the hardware that allows us to see images on Google Maps and Google Earth, and now they are about to unleash their most powerful telescope yet. This telescope will be the third model in the company’s Worldview series, and it will be able to clearly see images as small as 10 inches across (from space).
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Unfortunately the general public will not have access to the telescopes full viewing power and will only be able to clearly see objects that are 20 inches across, while customers within the government will have full access. There is no doubt that this development will lead to a host of conspiracy theories that will further discredit the government for privacy invasion of the general public.
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But if you’re worried about the telescope looking at you the whole time, there is no need to worry since it will be hurtling in orbit at 18,000 miles per hour, which will allow it to circle the globe every few days.
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What makes the Worldview-3 different from other telescopes orbiting us right now is that it won’t be taking individual images, but rather taking a continuous string of images that will lay out the entire surface of the planet as one set of photos. Even at a distance of 370 miles away from the surface, the telescope will be able to fix on to objects for at least a little while.
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Besides seeing things incredibly close up, the Worldview-3 will also be able to see things that the human eye cannot see at all, such as the infrared spectrum. According to Ball Aerospace, this will allow the telescope to differentiate between man-made and natural materials. This spells bad news for privately owned secret bunkers. But whatever the advantages and disadvantages may be, the telescope is set to launch later this year. Let’s hope we don’t get caught on camera at the wrong moment.