 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Surrey To Supply Bus And More For RapidEye EO Constellation
British company Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd has been awarded a �19.2 million (US$35M) contract by MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates (MDA) of Canada to supply the spacecraft platforms, integration and launch arrangements of a five-microsatellite constellation for high resolution Earth observation. The five satellites will each provide 6.5-metre GSD multispectral Earth observation images, primarily for use in agricultural and cartographic information services. Major users of the data will be the insurance industry, utilising the data for risk modeling and claim assessment. Expansions to this core business include crop monitoring and mapping, quality management and subsidy control. RapidEye is the world's first commercial Earth observation constellation. Conceived by the German company, RapidEye AG, the project has been made possible through the application of SSTL's low cost small satellites and opens a new and significant business sector for the space industry. RapidEye AG has brought together MDA, SSTL and Jena Optronik of Germany for this mission. SSTL are responsible for the design and construction of the five satellite platforms, supporting the optical payloads that will image the Earth with a ground sampling distance of 6.5 metres in 5 spectral bands. The imaging payloads will be supplied by Jena Optronik and integrated by SSTL at the Surrey Space Centre. Each spacecraft will have a mass of about 150kg. The satellite platforms, designed and manufactured by SSTL, will use the Company's latest advanced microsatellite avionics, a precision attitude orbit and control system with star tracker providing 30 degrees roll-offset for accurate image targeting, onboard propulsion for constellation station-keeping, a high-rate X-band data downlink, and a bi-directional S-band mission control subsystem. SSTL will also provide the Spacecraft Control Centre ground equipment for the mission. The five RapidEye satellites will be launched into a 620 km sun synchronous orbit, becoming operational in 2007. Related Links Surrey Satellite Technology RapidEye AG Jena-Optronik SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express 
Micro-Satellite Steers By The Stars To Return Views Of Earth
Paris (ESA) Jun 02, 2004Since its launch in October 2001, ESA�s Proba micro-satellite has been returning remarkable imagery of some of our planet�s major landmarks with a compact instrument called the High Resolution Camera.
|
|
| |||||||||
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |
