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>>> SEARCH PLANES WILL GO OUT
AND LOOK FOR THE BEST LEAD THAT
WE HAVE SO FAR.
SO FAR, THEY HAVE NOT FOUND THE
APPARENT DEBRIS THAT HAS BEEN
PICKED UP ON THE SATELLITE
IMAGES.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
>> THESE SATELLITE PHOTOS WERE
TAKEN FOUR DAYS AGO BUT THE
BURNING QUESTION, WHAT DO THEY
SHOW?
CREDIBLE SIGHTINGS, AUSTRALIAN
OFFICIALS CALL THEM, TWO LARGE
SATELLITE PHOTOS, ONE ABOUT 79
FEET LONG AND THE OTHER 16 FEET.
>> WE NEED TO GET THERE, FIND
THEM, SEE THEM TO FIND OUT
WHETHER THEY ARE ACCESSIBLE OR
NOT.
>> Reporter: WHAT GAVE THEM
CONFIDENCE THAT THESE TWO BLURRY
OBJECTS MAY BE IMAGES OF A
PLANE?
THIS COMES FROM A COLORADO
COMPANY CALLED DIGITAL GLOBE.
DIGITAL GLOBE SATELLITES FLY AT
4 MILES A SECOND SNAPPING HUGE
SWATHS OF PICTURES AT A TIME.
>> HOW WOULD THE SEARCHERS HAVE
TAKEN THESE SATELLITE IMAGES AND
DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS DEBRIS?
>> THEY ARE LOOKING FOR BRIGHT
OBJECTS AGAINST THE DARK SEA AND
SOMETIMES YOU USE A DETECTION
SOFTWARE TO DO THAT AND IN OTHER
CASES THEY HAVE LOTS OF
EYEBALLS.
>> Reporter: GOOGLE EARTH
SATELLITES CAN ZOOM DOWN AND
CAPTURE VERY DETAILED PICTURES,
LIKE THESE OF PLANES AT REAGAN
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
BUT THESE SATELLITE PICTURES OF
THE OBJECTS IN QUESTION ARE
FUZZY.
INTELLIGENT OFFICIALS LIKELY SAW
HIGHER-RESOLUTION VERSIONS THAN
THE ONES RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.
>> AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T
WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH
POTENTIAL ADVERSARIES, FOR
EXAMPLE.
>> Reporter: WHY DID IT TAKE
FOUR DAYS FOR THE PICTURES TO GO
PUBLIC?
THEY HAD TO SEND THEM IN A
DIFFERENT PROCESS AND SEND THEM
TO THE AUSTRALIANS IN A
DIFFERENT FORMAT.
>> HOW DO YDISTINGUISH BETWEEN
WHITE CAPS AND A PIECE OF
DEBRIS?
>> IT'S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO
DETERMINE A PIECE OF DEBRIS SO
IT WOULD REQUIRE MORE ATTENTION
AND MORE EYEBALLS TO MAKE THOSE
DISTINCTIONS.
>> Reporter: AND NOW WHAT IS
MAKING THE SEARCH MORE DIFFICULT
IS WHAT KYUNG LAH AND CHAD MYERS
JUST REPORTED.
YOU JUST SAW IT'S GETTING WORSE.
>> IF THEY GET TO SEE THESE
OBJECTS, SO THEY FINALLY FIND
THESE OBJECTS, IT'S STILL
CHALLENGING.
COULD TAKE SOME TIME TO GET A
FINAL ANSWER WHETHER OR NOT IT'S
WRECKAGE FROM THE PLANE.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, WOLF.
OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE TO
LOCATE THAT DEBRIS AND CONFIRM
THAT IT MAY BELONG TO THE