As part of a joint venture between a commercial satellite imaging provider and the Department of Defense, Google launched a rocket into space Saturday. In return for undisclosed terms, Google got two considerations: its logo on the side of the launch vehicle and exclusive use of the mapping images that the satellite produces. The partnerships in the new satellite are extensive. The hardware was built by General Dynamics and put in orbit by Boeing; the funding for the project came in part from a commercial satellite imaging company, Geoeye. The rest of the funding came from the Defense Department’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which provides map-based intelligence resources. The launch took place yesterday from the Air Force’s Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Source: [1] http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080908-new-satellite-to-give-google-maps-unprecedented-resolution.html