Article Posted on : - Oct 05, 2010

An artistic concept of Earth-imaging satellite 'GeoEye-2'.

SUNNYVALE (BNS): Lockheed Martin Space Systems is designing and building a new commercial Earth-imaging satellite 'GeoEye-2' under a fixed-price contract to support the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s EnhancedView commercial imagery programme.

GeoEye-2 will be launched aboard an Atlas V rocket provided by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services which is expected to be ready for launch in early 2013.

The spacecraft, based on the latest generation of the LMx configure to order low earth orbit bus product line initiated with IKONOS. The spacecraft will feature a new high-resolution ITT camera that has been in development for more than two years.

Recently, the team has successfully completed a System Requirements Review on schedule, proving the design maturity and readiness for the Preliminary Design Review set for later this year.

“We look forward to deliver even greater remote sensing capabilities as we work swiftly to deliver a total system solution and achieve mission success on the GeoEye-2 programme,” Allen Anderson, Lockheed Martin's GeoEye-2 programme director said.

In August 2010, GeoEye was awarded an EnhancedView contract worth up to $3.8 billion for over the next 10 years.