Originally Posted by
etudiant
Satellites are just as bound by optics constraints as earthbound photographers, so the resolution of an image 20+ miles square is not at the centimeter level. High resolution zooms can be had, but cover a very small field, so the problem becomes telling the satellite where to look exactly.
Drifting debris beneath partial clouds need to be pinpointed by human interpreters, but will have moved by the time that is done. Consequently the searchers cannot direct the higher resolution images a satellite could take fast enough to do any good.
A real time satellite image analysis with immediate high resolution targeting might be available to the military, but none of the commercial earth observation satellites have that. Hence the 2-3 day lag between the taking of the satellite pictures and the public finding of possible debris.
True, but it is not just a question of camera resolution and knowing where to look. Satellites have to peer through the atmosphere and as any amateur astronomer will tell you, this is often like looking through ripples on a pond. Occasionally you get clear still air and then a good satellite picture show clear details like people and vehicles. But this tends to happen in sunny places and high mountains. In the Southern Indian ocean, the waves are rough, the air is turbulent and full of moisture. No matter how fancy your camera or lens system, you won't resolve much better than half a meter.