Maxar - Elevation Suite: An overview of the elevation products available through earth observation satellites

Presented by: Ryan Hamilton & John Roos

Abstract: The combination of Maxar’s earth observation satellites and new advances in photogrammetry is allowing for levels of detail in 3D models that previously only airborne sensors could provide. From telecom to resource mapping, Maxar’s elevation products have opened the door for a new revolution in the remote sensing marketplace.

Maxar has been collecting massive amounts of earth observation imagery for the last decade and has over 120 petabytes of data. This is enough data to wrap the earth’s surface in images over 70 times, with over 3 million square kilometers added daily. All of this rich archive has opened the opportunity to build stereoscopic and multilook photogrammetry from coincidently overlapping images that meet the angle requirements to build stereo elevation models.

Instead of waiting on collections, the archives can now be leveraged to build DEMs on demand for almost any location on earth. This is a major shift from the methodology of the project dictating a collection before any deliverables could be considered. With Maxar’s archive model, the collection is no longer required. This not only shortens timelines but dramatically reduces costs.