Infoterra GmbH Initiates Commercial Exploitation of TerraSAR-X
Only from 2006, TerraSAR-X will be delivering Earth observation data of a new quality, however, its´ commercial exploitation starts now: two years prior to the scheduled launch date. The Friedrichshafen-based Infoterra GmbH, a 100-percent subsidiary of Europe´s leading satellite provider EADS Astrium, currently installs a global distribution network for the radar satellite. The satellite’s Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) will deliver X-band radar data with a swath width of 10 to 100 km, at a resolution of 1 to16 meters. The commercial exploitation rights for the new radar satellite are with Infoterra GmbH exclusively.
Surrounding the Earth on a polar orbit at an altitude of 514 kilometres, TerraSAR-X will be collecting new-quality X-band radar data of the entire planet. The satellite will operate independent of weather conditions, cloud coverage, and illumination and will be capable of delivering data at a resolution of up to 1 meter.
TerraSAR-X, which is due to be launched during the second quarter of 2006, is currently being developed by EADS Astrium, while the DLR prepares the ground segment.