13 August 2014: Worldview-3 Earth-observation satellite launched into orbit

Science: On August 13, 2014, a company called DigitalGlobe launched WorldView-3, the sharpest eye-catching satellite ever built. WorldView-3 is a high-resolution imaging satellite that can resolve features as small as 1 foot (31 centimeters) across. Its instruments allow it to peer through fog and smoke to see Earth’s surface at a level that was unprecedented for a non-government spacecraft. WorldView-3 lifted off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and has been orbiting Earth ever since.