IKONOS — quick history.
- First U.S. commercial high-resolution satellite.
- Launched: Sept 24, 1999 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
- Operated by Space Imaging initially — later by DigitalGlobe after consolidation
(note the slide lists DigitalGlobe because of that later ownership).
- International affiliates operated their own ground stations, giving regional
distributors direct access.
- Objective: deliver commercial high-resolution imagery with precise geolocation,
both near-real-time and offline.
- Retired: March 31, 2015 (not mentioned on the slide but important context).