The digital imaging technologies commonly used today evolved from technologies created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the early 1960s. Government scientists were looking for a way to transmit imaging data more accurately from outer space to Earth. The analog (wave) technologies used at the time were prone to degradation during transmission. The scientists devised a way to digitize the images taken by satellites and rocket mounted cameras. By turning the analog transmission into a digital code, the scientists solved the problems of image degradation. The imaging data could be sent long distances without a loss of quality, thus rendering a more accurate view of distant galactic sights.

The newly invented digital technologies were too expensive for the general public, but they were commonly used by governments, scientists, and corporations for topographic, atmospheric, military, medical, and...