NASA has awarded Orbimage a contract to supply up to $6 million in imagery from a 200-band hyperspectral camera on the company's OrbView-4 satellite.

The camera will capture and measure the unique signatures of natural and man-made materials on the Earth's surface, based on the sun's reflected light. From space, the instrument can identify materials such as plant species, minerals, and inland and coastal water features.

NASA will use the hyperspectral data from space to develop environmental monitoring tools for the management of land and water resources. Other applications may include oil, gas and mineral exploration, and national security activities.