Microsoft’s Bill Gates is backing a start-up that will provide ‘live and unfiltered’ high definition footage of every inch of Earth.

The startup, EarthNow, plans to launch 500 satellites to cover Earth’s atmosphere in ‘Big Brother’ real-time video surveillance.

As well as Gates, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and aerospace giant Airbus are also backing the project.

The price of the project could run to $1 billion (£700m), although the value of the investment by the companies has not been disclosed.

Applications could including tracking illegal fishing, monitoring the weather and tracking natural migrations globally.

EarthNow founder Russel Hannigan said: ‘Our objective is simple; we want to connect you visually with Earth in real-time.’

‘We believe the ability to see and understand the Earth live and unfiltered will help all of us better appreciate and ultimately care for our one and only home.’

The company is based in Bellevue, Washington and was founded in 2017.

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