Astrium has developed the SSOT (Sistema satelital de la Observación de la Tierra) Earth observation system for the Chilean government.

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, and natural resource, risk and disaster management.

The high-resolution optical observation satellite, based on the Myriade platform developed jointly by Astrium and the French national space agency CNES, has been built, integrated and tested by Astrium. The satellite has been completed and delivered to the Chilean government.

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. As part of the co-operation agreement, Chilean engineers are working alongside Astrium’s development team in Toulouse, France, where they are also being trained.

The SSOT satellite was launched aboard a Soyuz rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 16 December 2011.