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New DMC satellites deliver stunning images

Thursday, August 20. 2009

It's a busy time for both SSTL and DMCii as the new DMC satellites UK-DMC2 and Deimos-1, which were launched on the 29th July are commissioned and their imaging systems thoroughly tested and calibrated.

Just a week after launch, DMCii had already begun acquiring stunning satellite imagery from both satellites using the new 22m multi-spectral imaging payloads that they carry onboard. This would not have been possible without the new 22m multi-spectral imager that was developed by SSTL's Optical Payloads Group (OPG) in Sevenoaks, Kent. In a addition to the more obvious resolution increase it has over the previous 32m DMC imager, it includes a number of technological advances that improve the quality and calibration of the images DMCii receives.

First UK-DMC2 satellite image

This first image shows the states of Texas and Oklahoma, USA. The DMC satellites are specifically designed to image very large areas with rapid response and at regular intervals, as shown in this first multi-state image. The new satellites can image much larger areas in a single pass than the previous DMC satellites due to advances in onboard storage and high speed satellite downlinks to the Earth.

Don Benito, Spain. Deimos-1

This is one of the first 11 images taken by Deimos-1, see the Deimos-1 gallery provided by the satellite owner Deimos Space for more.

Continue reading "New DMC satellites deliver stunning images"

Posted by Robin Wolstenholme in Remote sensing at 15:24 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

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UK-DMC2 prepared for launch

Thursday, July 23. 2009

SSTL’s UK-DMC2 satellite has successfully completed pre-launch tests and is integrated with a Dnepr launch vehicle at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in readiness for launch on Wednesday, 29th July 2009 at 18:46 UTC, 19:46 BST.

The new satellite will be operated by subsidiary company DMCii to provide an enhanced imaging capability and operational service to the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC). UK-DMC2 has a number of enhancements over previous DMC spacecraft contributing to SSTL’s continuing evolutionary design approach.

UK-DMC2 carries a higher resolution optical payload which will provide 22m ground sample distance (GSD) images, compared with 32m GSD on the four operational satellites currently in the constellation. The 22m imagery has twice the data density of the 32m imagery without loss of Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and maintains the ultra-wide 600+km swath.

SSTL launch services team in Baikonur

The satellite carries two high-speed X-band transmitters that will both operate at 20Mbps or 80Mbps. This will enable the satellite to download images up to 10 times faster than previous DMC spacecraft. Storage capacity has increased from 1 to 1.5 GByte on the first generation of DMC spacecraft up to 12 GByte on UK-DMC2. These advancements, in combination with improved power generation and storage systems, will allow UK-DMC2 to rapidly map large areas such as Europe or other continents.

The advances in data throughput and power generation have enabled two new operational modes. Firstly, a near-real time imaging and downlink mode allows imagery acquired within a ~2000 km radius of a ground station to be downlinked within the same pass and, secondly, the implementation of a broadcast downlink mode that enables customers with a receive-only ground station to receive data directly from UK-DMC2.

These technology improvements not only make the satellite more flexible than previous designs, but also dramatically increase the operational imaging capacity by allowing the satellite to store and download much larger volumes of multi-spectral image data.

In practical terms, the increased imaging capacity means that the satellite has less “dead time”. By fully using the different modes available, this latest DMC satellite will be able to rapidly download significantly more image data than previously possible. The satellite does not need to wait until it has emptied the onboard storage before being re-tasked to acquire further images elsewhere.

As an example, DMCii annually provides coverage of the Amazon Basin. These coverage campaigns have taken 6 weeks to complete with two of the current DMC spacecraft. By comparison, UK-DMC2 on its own can cover the same area in just 11 days.

The 96kg UK-DMC2 satellite is based upon SSTL’s SSTL-100 small satellite platform, which uses solar cells integrated into the spacecraft’s surface to generate power. UK-DMC2 includes an additional deployable solar panel that will increase power generation by approximately 50%.

Posted by Robin Wolstenholme in Launch updates at 13:30 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

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Galileo satellite progress from Paris

Thursday, June 18. 2009

Gaileo is turning out to be a hot topic at this year's Paris Air Show. On the 15th June ESA and Arianespace signed a contract for the launch of the first four operational Galileo satellites on two Soyuz launch vehicles from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Also this week, ESA and the OHB/SSTL consortium signed a contract for sourcing long-lead items for Galileo satellites.

The Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) Launch Services Contract covers the launch of the first four operational Galileo satellites using two Soyuz launch vehicles that will lift off from the Guiana Space Centre (Centre Spatial Guyanais – CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Galileo IOV launch signing
ESA - S. Corvaja, 2009

This new development follows the successful launch of the GIOVE-A satellite which was built by SSTL and the GIOVE-B satellite which was to be built by the European Satellite Navigation Industries satellite consortium and ultimately completed by Astrium. Both satellites have provided a great deal of data, for example helping with with clock characterisation, Galileo signal testing and in understanding the radiation that future Galileo satellites such as the new IOV satellites can expect in Medium Earth orbit (MEO).

The signature of the IOV Launch Services Contract in Paris marks an important milestone for the Galileo programme as it progresses towards the operational deployment of the satellites of the Galileo satellite navigation system. The four IOV satellites will be placed in a circular orbit at an altitude of MEO of 23 600 km by the end of 2010. Development of the Galileo system is being carried out under a joint ESA/European Union programme.

The launch vehicle chosen to carry the four Galileo IOV satellites into orbit is the Soyuz ST-B with a Fregat MT upper stage, which has been adapted for the deployment needs of the Galileo programme. The Soyuz at CSG Programme is an ESA Programme with co-funding of Arianespace and the European Union.

Galileo operational constellation
Meanwhile, ESA and the bidder consortium led by OHB-System AG and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) have signed a contract for sourcing long-lead items for satellites for the future European Galileo navigation system in Paris the same week. The EUR 10 million contract is carried out under a program initiated and funded by the European Union.

Through this contract, OHB and SSTL are able to place orders for satellite technologies which require considerable lead times for development and sourcing ahead of the award of the actual contract for the construction of the satellites. The Galileo System customers, the European Union and the ESA, are thus ensuring that the schedule for implementation of Galileo can be maintained.

OHB and SSTL are one of two consortia bidding for the development and con-struction of 28 satellites for Galileo. By allowing two consortia to build spacecraft for this significant undertaking, ESA is ensuring that the full operational capa-bility can be put in place as soon as possible and at best value to the EU. The system is to be fully operational by 2013 following full contract signature later in 2009.

Posted by Robin Wolstenholme in GPS and GNSS at 11:47 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

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