Article Posted on : - Dec 07, 2010

GeoEye-2. A Lockheed Martin photo

SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA (BNS): The Lockheed Martin team designing GeoEye’s next-generation, high-resolution imaging satellite, known as GeoEye-2, has completed the program’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR) ahead of schedule.

The team is now gearing up for the Critical Design Review scheduled for early 2011, a key milestone that precedes the production phase of the program, the company said in a statement.

GeoEye-2 will be launched aboard an Atlas V rocket provided by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services and will be operational in early 2013.

Once fully operational, GeoEye-2 will be the highest resolution commercial satellite in the world. In addition, it will have significant improvements in performance capabilities, such as enhanced tasking and the ability to collect more imagery at a faster rate.

GeoEye-2 is based on the latest generation of the LMx configure-to-order low Earth orbit bus product line initiated with Lockheed Martin-built IKONOS satellite, and it features a new high-resolution ITT camera that has been in development for more than two years.