The satellite recovery, a cooperative effort between Aerial Images, Inc. and Sovinformsputnik, represents the conclusion of the first of a unique four part mission to collect detailed SPIN-2 images of the world. The images that returned via the satellite will have 2-meter resolution, the most detailed satellite imagery ever made available for commercial and consumer use. Later this summer, consumers will be able to browse through the images and purchase them from the "world's largest digital atlas," the TerraServerTM, located on the Internet at www.terraserver.com, for as little as $7.95 an image. The TerraServer is a joint project of Aerial Images, Inc., Digital Equipment Corporation, Kodak, Microsoft and Sovinformsputnik.

"The successful recovery of this satellite is a major milestone for everyone involved with the TerraServer project," said John Hoffman, president of Aerial Images. "Never before have U.S. and Russian teams come together to commercialize a formerly military space program. It is these types of relationships that will put valuable satellite information into the hands of scientists, business professionals and consumers worldwide and is a great step towards making the world a more familiar place."

With the first satellite safely back on Earth, the film will be taken from the camera on board, processed and duplicated onto Kodak aerial film. Kodak's aerial duplication film provides durable, high-resolution, archival storage quality film for the process of transferring photographic images onto the World Wide Web. The developing and optimized duplication process are a joint project of Sovinformsputnik and Kodak, assuring that the resulting images will be the highest quality possible. These final SPIN-2 satellite film images will then be converted to high quality digital images for the TerraServer at the Kodak Earth Imaging facility in Rochester, N.Y.

In addition to the film and processing components, a division of Kodak is providing TerraServer customers with valuable print fulfillment services. Kodak Earth Imaging, a group within Kodak's Commercial & Government Systems Business Unit provides digital photographic print and CD fulfillment services to those TerraServer customers who wish to purchase the images. Internet users can view select SPIN-2 images from this mission and historical data at www.terraserver.com. Kodak Earth Imaging will quickly print and deliver photographic prints of selected images, up to 20" x 26" poster sizes, to the customer's doorstep. Introductory pricing will make 2-meter imagery available at a fraction of the traditional remote sensing satellite costs.

"Like Sovinformsputnik, Kodak is leveraging its many years of experience supporting the nation's defense industry to provide premium materials, equipment, photographic science consultation and imaging services to support this exciting commercial imaging system," said David Parkes, technology manager of Kodak Earth Imaging. "It's exciting to see how this US and Russian team complement each other as they successfully acquire and deliver this high resolution commercial remote sensing imagery to the world of Internet users."

Sovinformsputnik

Sovinformsputnik was founded by a number of enterprises in the defense branches of industry, responsible for development, manufacturing and operation of modern remote sensing systems, which until just recently were used only for defense purposes. The strategic direction of Sovinformsputnik's activity is carrying out satellite surveys, commercial distribution of data acquired by the above mentioned systems and the creation of the different products, including digital topographic and thematic maps. As a part of its charter, Sovinformsputnik works with Russian agencies to organize satellite launches and in-orbit imaging in order to market and develop useful commercial applications for space information.

Aerial Images

Aerial Images, Inc., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, was founded in 1988 to use advanced digital imagery to lead the way to the new geography. The company has invested nine years in developing technologies and applications to redefine mapping accuracy and to change the way we view the world. Central Trading Systems, Inc., trade relations consultants, assisted in negotiating the project with Russia. Aerial Images, www.aerial-images.com, is a pioneer in digital imagery applications and integration; CAD (computer aided dispatch) and GIS systems; and digital mapping applications.