Surrey Satellite Technology Limited announced Monday the signing of a Launch Agreement with ISC Kosmotras of Russia and Ukraine, for the launch of five microsatellites in the ‘RapidEye’ constellation on-board a DNEPR rocket.
The multi-million dollar contract forms part of the development contract that SSTL have with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) of Canada to design and manufacture the five 175 kg optical Earth observation spacecraft.
The DNEPR rocket that will carry the satellites into orbit is scheduled for launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome based in Kazakhstan, early 2007.
‘RapidEye’ is a $160M project to create a commercial constellation of Earth Observation satellites and the related ground infrastructure.
SSTL is supplying five advanced microsatellite platforms, integrating the optical payload supplied by Jena-Optronik GmbH (Germany) and acting as agent for the launch services.
MDA is the prime contractor on the RapidEye project and will also participate through wholly owned subsidiaries, in the marketing, sales and product development efforts.
RapidEye is planning to operate the constellation to deliver daily agricultural land information products and services such as crop monitoring and mapping, yield prediction and natural disaster assessment.
Insurance and food companies, farmers, government and other agencies and institutions throughout the world will regularly receive up-to-date products and services of the highest quality.
In addition RapidEye will offer unique and highly competitive products to cartography customers.
The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) is acting as the contracting agency between MDA and RapidEye.
The CCC, a Canadian Federal Government Crown Corporation, facilitates over CDN $1 billion in export sales each year between Canadian suppliers and international buyers.
Commercial Space Technologies (CST) in Moscow acted as SSTL’s local representative in Russia to assist with the negotiations with ISC Kosmotras.
