I use to work for a business that was now bought out by Tom Tom.
As far as satellite image processing... I am guessing that the images are not your own but that you would be using Google Earth images etc as for its very very costly to have direct satellite image processing to capture your own as well as this type of processing is governed by gov identities who protect ( censor ) imaging of certain areas which are classified, off limits to viewing to public.
To know what hardware/software you need I would need more info on what you are exactly doing.
What satellite image source are you using?
What are you doing with the images in which they would need editing to add info or indexing for a database etc?
Is your end product going to be web based to where you also need to have the hardware and software to offer the services or is this mainly private research in which others contact you to put together a package of an area of interest of which your mainly just gathering and presenting info?
Any other info you can share to explain what your needs are and this project which is very vague in what you want to do?
