Companies want to launch satellites that can see a phone in your hand from space

If you've ever used Google Earth to zoom in on an aerial view of your house, then you know that the level of detail you can see is spooky. Regardless, satellite imaging technology continues to get better and better. Not long ago we measured satellite image resolution in meters; now it's down to centimeters. Last year the US government relaxed its restrictions on commercial satellite imagery. Satellite companies can now legally distribute photos at about 25-centimeter resolution — enough to clearly make out a mailbox and four times as detailed as the previous 50-centimeter restriction. More

(Source: Tech Insider - Oct 13)