RapidEye AG, a Brandenburg-based geospatial information provider, is on track to make global history this month with the first-ever launch of German commercial satellites. The satellites will be launched on August 29th at approximately 3:15 Eastern Time.
Once into orbit all five earth observation satellites, which will circle the globe 15 times daily, will become a one-stop shop for next generation geospatial information services, providing spectacular imagery and data to industries such as agriculture, forestry and cartography. The satellites will be carried into orbit on a DNEPR-1 launch vehicle that will take off from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
RapidEye’s grouping or “constellation†of the five satellites together is designed to provide built-in redundancy and take advantage of the use of high-technology sensors, so the company will be able to reliably deliver high-quality data from any point on Earth every day.
“We are happy to confirm that the planned launch date as everyone involved with the RapidEye mission has been waiting a long time for this announcement,†said Wolfgang Biedermann, RapidEye’s CEO. “We’ve been working diligently over the last 10 years to realize the satellite constellation, while simultaneously producing a wide variety of services which our own satellite imagery can soon be integrated into.
“We will soon be able to deliver imagery and services for crop planning, crop identification, and damage assessment following a natural disaster. We can expect the satellites to be commercially operational before the end of the year, which will be just as much of an important milestone for our company as the launch itself.â€
Canadian-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., or MDA, has been RapidEye’s prime contractor, providing the acquisition planning and data pre-processing systems. MDA also performs all system engineering and program management tasks relating to the satellites.
“This is also an important moment for us as a companyâ€, says Steve Oldham, Vice President for Satellite Missions at MDA. “RapidEye is the first operational small satellite constellation developed by MDA. The development of the RapidEye constellation, including the ground planning and processing system, represents a breakthrough in offering world class data from a turn-key mission. We are proud to have worked with RapidEye to enable their mission.â€
MDA has subcontracted Jena-Optronik GmbH of Jena, Germany to provide the multi-spectral pushbroom sensors that are the payload of the satellites. These “cameras†can produce earth observation data in five spectral bands: red, green, blue, near infrared and red edge.
RapidEye’s constellation is the first commercial satellite grouping to feature the red edge band. The combination of these five spectral bands is ideally suited to monitor vegetation conditions.
The satellites will be supported by a satellite control center, processing and archiving systems, added Biedermann.
“We have the ability to cover an area more than 11 times the size of Germany every day, and our satellites will be controlled directly from our headquarters here in Brandenburg an der Havel,†said Biedermann.
“With our system, we will close the gap that has been existent for a long time between the commercial and the scientific communities in the area of geoinformation services, as our imagery is the next generation of optical earth observation. This is why our data products have been highly anticipated in many different markets.â€
Thunderstorm frequency and intensity have been increasing in recent years, and are a threat to agricultural crops of every kind. For farmers, risk management by insuring against the forces of nature is essential. If the extent of damage after a disastrous weather event can be defined rapidly and precisely, the compensation due back to the farmers can be assessed more quickly and accurately, pleasing both the company and the customer.
Vereinigte Hagel, the European market leader in agricultural insurance, recognized the benefit of new technologies in remote sensing at an early stage. The company, located in Giessen, Germany, was a co-founder of RapidEye 10 years ago and is convinced of the world-wide applications of RapidEye’s services.
Dr. Dietrich Heine, who is also the deputy head of RapidEye’s supervisory board: “As soon as the long awaited data is available, we will have precise information about crop conditions before, during and after a storm and how they develop afterwards. This is a quantum jump from the current damage assessment process.â€
Satellite data will be provided for science and research through an agreement between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and RapidEye, giving geoscience and environmental researchers hope for answers to some of their questions about the current state of the earth.
About RapidEye AG
RapidEye is an ISO-certified geospatial information provider focused on integrating customized and industry specific solutions into the workflow of global customers in agriculture, forestry, energy, infrastructure, government, security and emergency.
RapidEye’s experts and the satellite system – a constellation of five satellites capable of downloading over 4 million km² of high resolution, multi-spectral imagery per day, a control station and a ground segment for processing and archiving data – allow for cost-effective customized services. The unique combination of large area coverage, high spatial resolution and the possibility of daily revisit to an area provide for superior management information solutions in agriculture, forestry and cartography.
Currently more than 90 experts from more than 20 countries worldwide are employed by RapidEye. Following a successful launch, plans are being made to increase the team to over 140.
About MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA)
MDA provides advanced information solutions that capture and process vast amounts of data, produce essential information, and improve the decision making and operational performance of business and government organizations worldwide.
Focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, MDA delivers a broad spectrum of earth and space based information solutions, ranging from complex operational systems, to tailored information services, to electronic information products. MDA employs more than 3,000 people in locations across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. The Company’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TSX: MDA. For more information, visit: www.mdacorporation.com.
About DLR
DLR is Germany´s national research center for aeronautics and space. Its extensive research and development work in Aeronautics, Space, Transportation and Energy is integrated into national and international cooperative ventures. As Germany´s space agency, DLR has been given responsibility for the forward planning and the implementation of the German space program by the German federal government as well as for the international representation of German interests. Furthermore, Germany’s largest project-management agency is also part of DLR.
Approximately 5,700 people are employed in DLR´s 29 institutes and facilities at thirteen locations in Germany: Koeln (headquarters), Berlin, Bonn, Braunschweig, Bremen, Goettingen, Hamburg, Lampoldshausen, Neustrelitz, Oberpfaffenhofen, Stuttgart, Trauen and Weilheim. DLR also operates offices in Brussels, Paris, and Washington D.C.
For more information about RapidEye’s satellite launch, visit their website.