Resolution and coverage: what today’s imagery can do

Publicly available missions offer spatial resolution around 10 meters, while commercial satellites reach down to 30 centimeters, with algorithmic processing in some cases enhancing perceived detail to approximately 15 centimeters. At this resolution, it is possible to identify service vehicles, ramps, or equipment directly in satellite imagery, with sufficient accuracy for many analytical tasks. Aerial mapping from piloted aircraft today commonly delivers 20–10 cm, and in optimal conditions up to roughly 2 cm, which is suitable for very detailed mapping of cities and infrastructure. Planet Labs, on the other hand, excels in frequency: its constellation can image vast areas daily and quickly cover changes on the ground.

Fotomap uses these capabilities for the needs of defense and the interior, as well as for civil institutions. It cooperates with Ministerstvo obrany and Ministerstvo vnútra, and maps for Národné lesnícke centrum and Úrad geodézie, kartografie a katastra SR. The data services thus cover everything from situational awareness through forest and soil monitoring to accurate base map data for land administration. What matters is not only the quality of the imagery, but also the speed of processing and delivering the results.

When optics aren’t enough: radar and radio signals

Radar satellites have the advantage that they image at night and through cloud cover, providing data independent of weather and daylight. In addition to optics and radar, there are also satellites that capture radio emissions across various bands, which makes it possible, for example, to detect GPS jamming or other types of signal activity. As data volumes grow rapidly, streaming services and analytics based on machine learning and artificial intelligence are coming to the fore, accelerating interpretation. Drones and aerial sensors then complement satellites where extreme detail or a flexibly deployable survey is needed.