Lending a bit of credence to the idea that Google is planning on launching a fleet of satellites of their very own is a new acquisition by the search company. Skybox, a satellite imaging outfit that launched their own orbital photographer last year, has been picked up by Google for the sum of $500 million, according to Skybox.
Just what Google has in store for Skybox hasn’t been made clear but looking at Earth from space has its uses.
Skybox said in a blog post that the two company’s are related by more than just proximity (they’re based in the same area in the States) and that “We both believe in making information (especially accurate geospatial information) accessible and useful. And to do this, we’re both willing to tackle problems head on — whether it’s building cars that drive themselves or designing our own satellites from scratch.”
They went on to say “We should point out that our agreement with Google, which is subject to customary approvals and closing conditions, hasn’t closed yet. So in the short term, it will continue to be business as usual at Skybox.”
It is possible that development at Skybox could lead to Google having access to custom satellites, which could be used to provide internet access around the world. Please?
Source: Ars Technica