: Purchasing existing photos from a provider's catalog (e.g., Maxar or Planet Labs). This is faster and cheaper, ideal for historical analysis.

: Retailers like Starlink sell user terminals for high-speed global connectivity.

For enterprises or governments, buying a satellite involves a multi-phase engineering and legal process. Buying a satellite - GomSpace

For individuals or small businesses, "buying a satellite" typically means purchasing consumer-grade hardware for communication or data.

: Paying to "task" a satellite to capture new imagery over a specific area of interest. This is more expensive but provides the most current data.