WorldView-3 Ready for Launch

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 12, 2014) – DigitalGlobe Inc. is poised to launch WorldView-3, the most sophisticated civilian imaging satellite ever.

DigitalGlobe and its manufacturing partner, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., are both based in Longmont, Colo.

The Atlas V rocket, made by Centennial Colorado-based United Launch Alliance, is scheduled to carry the three-ton, 19-foot-tall WorldView-3 to an orbit 382 miles above the Earth on Aug. 13 or Aug. 14 from a launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

WorldView-3 will be able to gather an unparalleled range of data and images, which can be used for everything from helping firefighters in remote fire zones, to assisting energy exploration companies in assessing potential resources, or determining whether isolated areas prone to extreme weather are accessible.

“Space is certainly a global industry, but we are proud of the fact that this highly sophisticated satellite has been commissioned, built and launched by our partner companies right here in Colorado,” said Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham. “WorldView-3 underscores the leading role Colorado plays in the space industry.”

About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is the foremost advocate for all sectors of space, and is a global, nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium, in support of its mission “to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable and propel humanity.” Space Foundation world headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., features a public Discovery Center including the El Pomar Space Gallery and the Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere®, and is a member of the American Alliance of Museums. The Space Foundation has a field office in Houston, and from its Washington, D.C., office, conducts government affairs, publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity and provides three indexes that track daily U.S. stock market performance of the space industry. Through its Space Certification™ and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, the Space Foundation recognizes space-based technologies and innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit www.SpaceFoundation.org, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and read our e-newsletter Space Watch.

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