An excel spreadsheet can be helpful here. Please show your steps to solve this problem. Email or hard copy for Thursday. Solo work only- a quiz grade. You can use your book and the web, but you must show your calculations.

"Assume that the NSA has access to as many single square 25 MPixel CCD chips as it needs to construct a square light sensitive array or an "eye in the sky" for viewing the earthbound. The desired altitude for this satellite is above 400 km. The ratio of actual distance from the lens to the actual width viewed for the imaging array is 10,000x greater than the telephoto lens on p.155 (with a ratio of 20 m away giving a 3 m wide view). This assumes a crazily efficient adaptive optics and a very large unfolding mirror to catch all the photons reflecting off the surface. Also assume this NSA "bird" wants to properly image a human face from space (some guy with a beard I'm told). The requirement is that you would need 50 pixels to cover a 35 mm wide eye (see p.157).

How many 25 MPixel chips would you need total to accomplish this task? If they are arranged in a aquare, what would the dimensions be for this CCD "retina" array?

BTW-  NASA designed the shuttle to carry large payloads into space; it can carry 51,800 pounds into a 28º inclination orbit and 37,800 into a 57º inclination orbit. The orbiter's payload bay measures 60 feet long, 17 feet wide, and 13 feet deep. Can it fit your satellite's imaging array with room to spare?