Astrium’s Spot multi-mission platform series, initially designed for the French space agency, CNES, is now used for a total of 15 European Low Earth Orbit Earth observation satellites, including the Helios military reconnaissance satellites, the ERS radar satellites, the Envisat Polar Platform and the polar-orbiting Metop spacecraft.
Built under the prime contractorship of Astrium, four Spot satellites are currently in operational use, allowing a daily observation of virtually any point of the globe at a 10-metre resolution. Spot 5 (launched in 2002) provides 2.5 metre resolution images over a large swath. Astrium was responsible for the platform and high-resolution imaging system on all Spot satellites.
Astrium also financed, jointly with CNES and Spot Image, the high-resolution stereoscopic instrument HRS flown on Spot 5. HRS generates digital elevation models for 3D mapping applications.
Astrium holds a 81% share in Spot Image which provides global imaging services.
