Company executives stated on the 11th that they will obtain the latest images of the Strait of Malacca on the morning of the 12th U.S. time. The company previously called on internet users to mark any debris, lifeboats, oil slicks, and other evidence they observed on the satellite scan images published on the website.
According to the Chinese website of The Wall Street Journal, DigitalGlobe has mobilized two of its five satellites, setting their orbits to pass over the search areas above the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea, allowing the public to analyze suspicious signs of the missing aircraft in the satellite images through an online platform.
One of the satellites is expected to pass over the aforementioned search area, including the northern end of the Strait of Malacca, around 10 a.m. U.S. time on the 12th.
Luke Barrington, Senior Manager of Global Geospatial Big Data Business, stated that the latest images should be released in the U.S. on the morning of the 12th.
He mentioned that volunteers have browsed the original images, with each pixel being checked over 100 times. They did not detect any signs of life related to the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft or its passengers and crew.
He also stated that the satellite positioning areas were determined by the company's analysts. This choice reflects official guidance and media reports, while avoiding areas already covered by other commercial satellites and regions where useful data could not be collected due to adverse weather conditions.
Additionally, according to the Associated Press, the company's Senior Director Shay Har-Noy stated that the announcement received a warm response, causing the servers to nearly crash.
Furthermore, relevant agencies of the U.S. government have also been authorized to access the relevant satellite images.
