DigitalGlobe cleared to sell sharpest images to all buyers

U.S. government regulators have approved DigitalGlobe's request to sell its highest-resolution satellite imagery to commercial clients, easing restrictions that limited the sale of the most detailed imagery to intelligence agencies, DigitalGlobe announced Wednesday.

DigitalGlobe said the decision will expand the market for its image products and help companies and state and local governments with oil and gas extraction, mining and exploration, urban planning and disaster relief.

The Longmont, Colo.-based satellite operator submitted a request to the U.S. Commerce Department in May 2013, citing plans from foreign governments to launch sharp-eyed optical imaging satellites with better vision than commercially available from DigitalGlobe's spacecraft.

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