Wed, Sep 28, 2016
Paves The Way For 60-Satellite Constellation To Deliver High-Resolution Satellite Imaging
The BlackSky Pathfinder-1 satellite was successfully launched into a sun synchronous orbit from India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Monday.
The Spaceflight Industries launch team confirmed reliable, successful signal acquisition and is continuing to monitor communications from its operations center in Seattle.
“This is a major accomplishment for our company – one that we’ve been steadily working towards since we conceived of the BlackSky business in 2013,” said Jason Andrews, chief executive officer of Spaceflight Industries. “The Pathfinders will provide us critical insight into how our early architecture performs from space so we can continue to improve and expand upon our technology. Meanwhile, the satellites are a testament to the future capabilities of the BlackSky constellation to support the activities essential to satellite imaging, such as tasking, collecting, processing and distributing images.”
Built by Spaceflight Industries, Pathfinder-1 and 2 are key demonstration satellites for BlackSky’s planned 60-satellite constellation. (Pathfinder-2 is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.) The first three commercially operational satellites are scheduled for launch in 2017, with the complete constellation on orbit by 2020.
The Pathfinder earth imaging satellites are approximately the size of a mini refrigerator and weigh 50 kg. Equipped with payloads from Harris Corporation, they are designed to image an area approximately 4.4km x 6.6km at 1-meter resolution. By using the BlackSky global intelligence platform, customers can access a wide range of satellite data and geospatial imagery. Once deployed, the BlackSky constellation will provide near real-time images in about 90 minutes for approximately $90, a price that is currently unmatched in the market. The ability to pass over areas of interest at an hourly revisit rate will produce images that are more current and wide-ranging to increase global transparency.
(Images provided with BlackSky Industries news release)
More News
Runway Lead-in Light System Runway Lead-in Light System Consists of one or more series of flashing lights installed at or near ground level that provides positive visual guidance a>[...]
Aero Linx: Aviation Without Borders Aviation Without Borders uses its aviation expertise, contacts and partnerships to enable support for children and their families – at hom>[...]
Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories ITBOA BNITBOB ... what does that mean? It's not gibberish, it's a lengthy acronym for "In The Business Of Aviation ... But Not In The Busine>[...]
From 2010 (YouTube Version): Yeah.... This IS A Really Cool Job When ANN's Nathan Cremisino took over the lead of our Aero-TV teams, he knew he was in for some extra work and a lot>[...]
Also: Junkers A50 Heritage, Montaer Grows, Dynon-Advance Flight Systems, Vans' Latest Officially, the Carbon Cub UL and Rotax 916 iS is now in its 'market survey development phase'>[...]