Amanda L. from Google posted a confirmation of an issue some Google Maps users are having with swapping between various layers on Google Maps.
In a Google Maps Help thread Amanda posted on the issue saying it is a "known issue." She explained:
A number of people using Chrome on Windows are having issues with being unable to switch map types (into or out of satellite), or to toggle layers. We're aware of the problem, and our engineers are working on a solution.In the meantime, if you are affected by this issue, you can fix the problem by clearing your cache. For detailed instructions on this, see here: http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?answer=95582
We're actively investigating this issue, and will post back with any further updates.
Thanks for your patience, and my apologies for the inconvenience it has caused.
Another solution is to simply press Ctrl-F5 while on Google Maps to help fix the issue.
So if you are clicking on the Satellite layer and nothing is happening, you are not alone.
Forum discussion at Google Maps Help .