Surrey Satellite signs for Dnepr launch of constellation
The UK's Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) has signed an agreement with Russian-Ukraine company ISC Kosmotras for the launch of five RapidEye geographic-information microsatellites on a Dnepr booster from Baikonur in 2007.
SSTL is building the spacecraft buses for the five 175kg (385lb) optical low-Earth orbit observation satellites, and integrating multi-spectral optical payloads supplied by Jena-Optronik of Germany. Canada's MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates is prime contractor for the €160 million ($206 million) project to provide a turnkey system to Munich-based RapidEye.
The German company plans to provide daily agricultural land information products and services such as crop mapping and monitoring, yield prediction and damage assessment.
* Russia plans to launch 32 microsatellites on two flights in May and July aboard Dnepr and Cosmos 3M boosters from Plesetsk.
TIM FURNESS/LONDON
Source: Flight International
