ImageSat International is developing a technique that will allow it to offer satellite imagery at 0.6-0.7m resolution. The development comes as the company, owned by Israel Aircraft Industries, El-Op and Core Software Technology, continues to plan the launch of a second satellite at the end of next year or in early 2004.
The satellite imaging company launched its first satellite, EROS A, in December 2000. The company offers 1.8m resolution black and white images as standard, which can be improved to 1m using "a technique we call oversampling, and we're now working on hypersampling to boost this to 0.6-0.7m", says chief executive Menashe Broder.
EROS B will offer colour as well as black and white images, says Broder. Resolution will depend on the satellite's orbit, which has yet to be decided. The craft is initially likely to be placed at 480km (300 miles), providing 0.6-0.7m resolution monochrome images and 2.5m colour. Later the satellite would be boosted into a 600km orbit, allowing 0.8-0.9m black and white resolution and 3.5m colour.
The company purchases its buses from Israel Aircraft Industries while Elop produces the camera.
ImageSat plans a constellation of five craft, "which will give near real-time imagery", says Broder. The three remaining satellites will be launched within two years of EROS B, he adds.
The company offers three usage levels. Satellite operating partners have an uplink as well as a downlink. This gives them a "timeshare" of the system, says Broder, which allows a country to control the image-gathering and to "keep what they're imaging to themselves".
ImageSat's priority acquisition service does not offer a control uplink, but images can be provided within two weeks, "and often four days", says Broder. The company also sells images over the internet.
Source: Flight International
