Olympics from space

Satellite images show how the Olympic Park has grown and developed over the years

This satellite image shows the London 2012 Olympic Park from space on the eve of the opening ceremony. The picture was captured by NigeriaSat-2, which was made in the Britain by Surrey Satelitte Technology for the Nigerian space agency. It was launched in August last year from Yansy in Russia.

Pictures below, released by Astrium, show images of the Olympic Park from space as it was being built. Three pictures spanning 2006-2011 show how the 250-hectare park around the Olympic Stadium in Stratford has developed. These images have come from SPOT 5, FORMOSAT-2 and Pléiades 1A satellites.