Google has entered into an agreement to buy Skybox Imaging for $500-million in cash, subject to adjustments.
In a statement, Google says Skybox’s satellites will help keep Google Maps accurate with up-to-date imagery.
“Over time, we also hope that Skybox’s team and technology will be able to help improve Internet access and disaster relief – areas Google has long been interested in,” the company states.
Skybox has built and launched the world’s smallest high¬-resolution imaging satellite, which collects beautiful and useful images and video every day.
“We have built an incredible team and empowered them to push the state-of-the-art in imaging to new heights,” Skybox writes in a statement.
“The time is right to join a company who can challenge us to think even bigger and bolder, and who can support us in accelerating our ambitious vision.”