GUILDFORD, United Kingdom, June 20, 2014”SurreySatellite TechnologyLtd (SSTL) todayannounced the successful launchofKazEOSat-2,amediumresolution Earth observation satellite for theRepublic ofKazakhstan, atUTC 19:11:1.Thespacecraftwaslaunched intoa630km sun-synchronous orbiton board aDNEPRrocket from Yasnyin Russia.
Followingconfirmationof separation from the launchvehicle,thegroundstationat the newlybuiltsatelliteoperations centre in Kazakhstan'scapital city,Astana, established contactwith the satelliteon its first passandcommissioning ofthe platformisnowunderway,undertaken by a joint team ofengineers from SSTLand Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary.
KazEOSat-2(formerlyknown as KazMRES)hasamass of 180kgandis basedon the SSTL-150platform. Itwill deliver77km swath,multi-spectralimageswith aresolution of6.5metresforagricultural andresourcemonitoring, disastermanagement and land usemapping. The spacecraft isthemedium-resolutionelementofa civil spaceremote sensing systemthat also includes the high-resolution satellite, KazEOSat-1,built byAirbusDefence and Space.Thecontractwith SSTL alsoincluded a licenseagreement for non-commercial reproductionofthe SSTL-150 platforminKazakhstan.
Sir Martin Sweeting, ExecutiveChairmanof SSTLsaidWecongratulatetheKazakh governmentonthe successful launchof KazEOSat-2andthe advancementoftheircivilspace programme. We haveenjoyed workingwith the Kazakhengineerswhotookpart in a space development and trainingprogramme withus duringthe buildoftheir spacecraft, and we areverymuch lookingforwardtowelcoming anewteamofengineers from Kazakhstanto the UK next month, whowillcollaboratewith uson thedesignandbuild oftheir next mission,KazSTSat.
In a continuationof the collaboration betweenthetwo organisations, ateamfrom SSTLhastravelled tothesatelliteoperationscentre in Astana toperforminitial in-orbitoperationsalongsideKazakhengineers. Once platformcommissioning in Astana is complete, SSTLand Kazakhengineerswill commission andcalibratethe imagingpayloadfromSSTL's MissionControloperations centreinGuildford.
About SSTL
SurreySatellite TechnologyLimited (SSTL) is theworld’s leadingsmall satellitecompany,deliveringoperational spacemissionsfor arangeof applicationsincluding Earth observation, science andcommunications.The Companydesigns,manufactures and operateshighperformancesatellites andground systemsfor a fraction oftheprice normallyassociated with spacemissions, with600 staffworkingon turnkey satellite platforms, space-provensatellitesubsystemsandoptical instruments.
Since 1981 SSTLhas built andlaunched 42 satellites“as wellas providingtraining anddevelopmentprogrammes, consultancyservices, andmission studies forESA, NASA, international governmentsandcommercialcustomers, with its innovativeapproach that ischangingthe economicsof space.
In 2006SSTLformed aUK subsidiarycompany, DMCii,to exploit theapplicationsof itssmall EarthObservationsatellitesand in 2008the Company setup a US subsidiary,Surrey Satellite TechnologyUSLLC(SST-US)with facilitiesin Denver, Coloradoto addresstheUnited Statesmarket and itscustomers fortheprovision of small satellite solutions, applicationsand services.www.sst- us.com
Headquartered in Guildford, UK, SSTLis partof theAirbus Group.
