With a design based on the Myriade platform, this high-resolution optical Earth observation satellite
will be built, integrated and tested by Astrium. The
SSOT programme includes the development and joint construction of ground
control and ground image processing segments, which will allow the Chilean
authorities to control and operate their satellite from anywhere within the
national territory.
Furthermore, as part of the co-operation
agreement, Chilean engineers are working alongside Astrium’s development team
in Toulouse,
where they are also being trained.
The system will give Chile access to extremely
high-quality satellite images that can be exploited in a wide range of observation
applications such as mapping, agriculture, town planning, the administration of
natural resources, the management of natural disasters and risks and urban
plans.
The SSOT satellite will be launched from the Guiana
Space Centre in early 2010 as part of the payload of a Soyuz launcher.
Once again, Astrium is demonstrating its
ability to offer attractive partnership solutions in the sphere of Earth
observation. The SSOT programme follows in the wake of the FORMOSAT-2
satellite, which was launched on 20 May 2004, the South Korean KOMPSAT-2 and
COMS satellites, the THEOS programme developed for Thailand, which was launched on 1
October 2008, and the two ALSAT-2 satellites, which are currently being built
for the Algerian government.
Astrium, a
wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence
space systems and services. In 2007, Astrium had a turnover of €3.5 billion and
12,000 employees in France, Germany, the United
Kingdom, Spain
and the Netherlands.
Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers
and orbital infrastructure, Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment
and its wholly owned subsidiary Astrium Services for the development and
delivery of satellite services.
EADS
is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2007,
EADS generated revenues of €39.1 billion and employed a workforce of more
than 116, 000.
Press contacts:
Jeremy Close
(Astrium UK) Tel.:
+44 (0)1 438 77 3872
Matthieu Duvelleroy (Astrium FR) Tel.:
+33 (0) 1 77 75 80 32
Mathias Pikelj (Astrium GER) Tel.: +49 (0) 7545
8 9123
Francisco Lechón (Astrium ESP) Tel.: +34 91 586 37 41
www.astrium.eads.net
