Satellites.pro

Satellites.pro allows open source researchers to quickly switch between several free satellite imagery and mapping services.

URL

https://satellites.pro/

Description

Satellites.pro lets you view satellite imagery and mapping services including maps from:

• Apple Maps

• OpenStreetMap

• Google Maps

• Yandex Maps

The tool allows open source researchers to easily switch between maps and imagery from all those providers in a simple and straightforward way without the need to go to the providers' sites separately.

Windows users can access Apple Maps via satellites.pro which was not easily possible before the launch of Apple Maps on the web in July 2024.

The tool has a plan view (flat map) and a satellite view (high resolution) as well as a zoom option. You can measure distance, calculate distance between start and end points for (car, bus, pedestrian, cyclist, train and taxi) and see the current weather at a location.

You also have the various options with each dedicated map selected (Apple Maps, OpenStreet Map, Google Maps and Yandex Maps).

The example below shows a search for Amsterdam using Apple Maps:

Screenshot of a search for Amsterdam using Apple Maps. The box in the upper left area of the screen shows the different available map and satellite service options between which the user can switch.

Cost

• Free

• Partially Free

• Paid

Level of difficulty

Requirements

Any modern web browser.

Limitations

satellites.pro has the following limitations that researchers should consider:

• Data Accuracy and Currency: Data may not always be up to date, leading to potential discrepancies with current conditions. Users should verify important information through other sources. For Apple, Google and Open Street Map see the toolkit entries for the associated maps. Yandex Maps Editor Support says Yandex imagery is updated irregularly but does not specify how often imagery is updated.

• Resolution and Detail: Image resolution varies across different regions and services, with some areas having detailed imagery and others being less clear. Again, see Apple Maps, Google Maps and Open Street Map toolkit entries for more details. Yandex Maps does not provide further information on this.

• There are ads present in various areas of the screen, and the site may ask the user to watch an ad in order to gain full access for 24 hours.

Ethical Considerations

In the context of using remote sensing in online open source investigations, several ethical considerations should be considered:

• we do not know who is behind the tool.

Guide

Official Wiki

None

Tutorials and Articles

Toler, A. (2022) How we Geolocated a Photo of a Russian Missile Programming Team, bellingcat. Available at: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/10/28/how-we-geolocated-a-photo-of-a-russian-missile-programming-team/ (Accessed: 30 June 2026).

Note: The piece made use of the Yandex Imagery via satellite.pro

Video Tutorials

None.

Community and Support

None.

Tool provider

Unknown but the site has been registered via a Russian domain name service

Advertising Trackers

• This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet.

• This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution.

• This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies.

Page maintainer
Paul - Bellingcat Volunteer Community, Riccardo Giannardi