The commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Antrix has signed Launch Services Agreement with DMC International Im...
The commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Antrix has signed Launch Services Agreement with DMC International Imaging (DMCii), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) UK, for launch of three DMC-3 Earth Observation Satellites being built by SSTL, on-board ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
The satellites will provide unparalleled 1 metre high resolution imagery with high speed downlink and 45 degree off-pointing.
The three satellites will form a new constellation, DMC3, with daily revisit times which is crucial for change detection, disaster monitoring and response planning, and essential for acquiring cloud-free imagery. The satellite design features advanced avionics and optical systems that make it possible to perform several different types of imaging such as mapping terrain, strip imaging and mosaic imaging for wide areas.
The 350kg satellites will be launched by ISRO's PSLV launch vehicle into a 650km sun synchronous orbit. Beijing-based company, 21AT, will lease 100% of the imaging capacity of the three satellites from DMCii.
Antrix also signed another Launch Services Agreement with ST Electronics (Satcom & Sensor Systems) Pte Ltd, Singapore, for launch of TeLEOS-1 Earth Observation Satellite, on-board PSLV. These launches are planned during end 2014 to end 2015.TeLEOS-1 will ride on the PSLV to be launched into space at 550km above the Earth at a low inclination.
The 400-kilogram satellite is equipped with an electro-optical camera capable of taking images at ground resolution of one metre. It is suited for applications such as disaster and environment monitoring, maritime safety, urban planning and homeland security. The unique Near Equatorial Orbit allows frequent revisits to areas of interest in equatorial regions at approximately 96-minute intervals, delivering high data availability and responsiveness.
