Google Earth Airbus -

Here is how the Airbus Defense and Space constellation—specifically the and SPOT satellites—turns Google Earth from a simple globe into a living, breathing high-definition map of our planet. The "Secret" Source of the Sharpshooter Images For years, Google Earth used a mix of aerial photography (planes) and Landsat (NASA/USGS). While Landsat is great for history (50+ years of data), its resolution is limited to about 30 meters per pixel. You can see a city, but not a car.

April 16, 2026 Category: Tech / Geospatial

Do you notice a huge difference in quality between the mountains and your downtown area? That’s usually the difference between Airbus 30cm and free Landsat 30m. Let us know where you’ve spotted the most detail in the comments!

If you have ever zoomed in on your childhood home, tracked a hiking trail, or measured a construction site from your laptop, you have Google Earth to thank. But what you might not realize is that Google Earth doesn’t actually own satellites. For its highest-resolution imagery, Google relies on a European aerospace giant: .

So next time you find your house from space, take a second to zoom out and think: That perfect, cloudless square of imagery you are looking at flew 500 miles above the Earth on a European satellite moving at 17,000 mph.

Beyond the Blur: How the Google Earth & Airbus Partnership Changed How We See the World