Google Earth satellite set to launch Tuesday

The company behind the images seen on Google Earth is scheduled to launch its second satellite on Tuesday, improving the accuracy of images on the popular mapping program.

Colorado-based DigitalGlobe said its Worldview I satellite will be able to collect up to 750,000 square kilometres of imagery a day at a resolution of a half-metre.

The launch will be broadcast live on Boeing Co.'s website and is scheduled for 2:35 PM ET.

"This is an exciting event for not only the companies involved with the launch, but also the growing number of consumers and business people using satellite imagery in their daily lives," said Jill Smith, CEO of DigitalGlobe, in a statement.

The new satellite will also be able to more accurately locate objects on the Earth, to withinthree to 7.5 metres.

It is the first of two new satellites the company plans to launch;Worldview II is slated forlate 2008.

Together with the QuickBird satellite already in orbit, the company said the two satellites would give more than one million square kilometresof high-resolution Earth imagery each day.

Google launched its Google Earth tool in June 2005, combining satellite images from Canada, the United States and Europe with global positioning systems, video streaming and an intuitive interface. Other regions were later added, though some governments have raised security concerns over the high resolution of some of the images.

Under DigitalGlobe's agreement with the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the company can sell its images as long as their resolution is no higher than a half-metre.