RDL Space of California has won a licence from the US Government to build, launch and operate the first commercial 1m-resolution synthetic-aperture radar satellite, the Radar 1, which will provide images to the military.
Other firms, including Space Imaging-Eosat, are preparing to operate high resolution multispectral satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office in a new policy to buy imagery rather than to operate classified military systems. Radar 1 images will also be available to commercial and military users worldwide, but there is likely to be a limit on the resolution of commercial-use images.
The satellite, scheduled to be launched in 2001, will operate in a low Earth orbit. RDL is a subsidiary of Research and Development Laboratories.
Source: Flight International
