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OSM's main problem is that it has no open sourced satelite imagery dataset to display, they're only using borrowed data to build its vector maps on. It just doe
by moffkalast 4y ago
OSM's main problem is that it has no open sourced satelite imagery dataset to display, they're only using borrowed data to build its vector maps on. It just doesn't exist. Until that becomes a thing it'll stay a second rate map app for the average person, unfortunately.
It's the only map anyone can actually integrate into anything without an api key and a wallet with a wad of greens in it, so that keeps it relevant for now. Maybe if/when Starship lowers cost to orbit, then we'll see non-profit funded satellites that can source that dataset and keep it up to date.
- ElevenLathe 4y agoDo you happen to know why there isn't any U.S. Government satellite imagery? I understand the really high-resolution stuff is probably from spysats and so classified, but anything else should be public domain, no?
- kevin_thibedeau 4y agoEverything under NASA's and NOAA's purview is public domain. High resolution stuff is left to commercial and secret applications. Some states also have high res aerial photography. This was notably obvious in the early days of gmaps when the whole US was Landsat only with aerial for just Massachusetts.