Google’s parent holding company Alphabet is edging closer to selling its expensively-bought SkyBox Imaging business, which it renamed Terra Bella after its $473 million (€441m) purchase.

The prospects of a sale of the Mountain View, California high-resolution Earth observation business were originally reported on January 11th. The sale is now “essentially done” report sources.

What is not yet absolutely clear is who the buyer might be. One report suggests that Monsanto’s Climate Corp is in the running and with $300 million on the table. Other reports say that – as we reported – Planet Labs will buy the operation as a going concern.

Planet Labs has already bought Blackbridge, which specialises in small satellite applications.

Google originally said that SkyBox/Terra Bella would improve the accuracy of its Google Maps applications.

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