Space Imaging announced today that the launch of Ikonos 1, previously scheduled for late June, has moved to later this year. The delay is a result of the decision to perform additional testing of the satellite system before launching it into space.
Ikonos 1 is the first satellite of its kind to take pictures of
the Earth at levels of detail previously unavailable to commercial
users. “We’re taking additional measures to ensure 100 percent
mission success, with both the launch and the achievement of a
world-class imaging capability,” said John Copple, Space Imaging’s
chief executive officer. “Further testing is a necessary precaution
to assure our customers that imagery collected by Ikonos will be of
the highest quality.”
Ikonos 1 is being built by Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space in
Sunnyvale, California. It will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force
Base aboard an Athena II rocket. Ikonos 2, an identical twin to
Ikonos 1, is also scheduled to launch by the end of this year. It
will enable Space Imaging to respond to customer requests for imagery
twice as frequently as with Ikonos 1.
Space Imaging is the world’s largest single supplier of space
imagery, aerial photography, mapping services, and derivative
geographic information products and services. The company supplies
these products and services to commercial, government and consumer
users worldwide. Space Imaging collects and distributes Earth
imagery from the Indian Remote Sensing satellites, the U.S. Landsat,
Canada’s RADARSAT, Japan’s JERS, and the European Space Agency’s ERS
satellites. The company also delivers a broad array of
aerial-derived information products through its Mapping Alliance
Program.
