Skybox Imaging + Japan Space Imaging… Picture Perfect Partnership (Business + Imaging)

[SatNews] Skybox Imaging (Skybox) has entered into a multi-year, strategic partnership with Japan Space Imaging (JSI), a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, to provide high-resolution imagery and full motion commercial video to the Japanese market. The agreement, subject to U.S. regulatory approval, will enable JSI to directly task, downlink and receive imagery from Skybox’s constellation of microsatellites on a reliable and frequent basis.

Skybox will provide JSI a rapidly deployable ground station, called a SkyNode, comprised of a 2.4 meter communications antenna and two racks of supporting software and equipment. Skybox is pioneering the use of Apache Hadoop, an open-source framework that allows for the distributed processing of large data sets, for geospatial applications. Skybox has designed the SkyNode software suite to enable customers to efficiently schedule imagery collections, task satellites, downlink imagery and process image products on a user-friendly web platform.

Operations will start following the launch of Skybox’s first two microsatellites, SkySat-1 and SkySat-2, currently scheduled for late 2013. By combining Skybox’s product offerings with JSI’s existing product offerings, JSI will be able to continue expanding the uses of satellite imagery in applications including land monitoring, environmental monitoring, and disaster response.