24.11.2017
SSTL ships CARBONITE-2 and Telesat's LEO-1 for PSLV launch
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has shipped two small satellites, CARBONITE-2 and LEO-1, to India in preparation for a late December launch on ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Sriharikota launch site.
LEO-1 will be one of two Telesat Phase 1 satellites planned for launch this year that will allow Telesat to start testing key performance parameters of its next generation global LEO constellation. The satellite has a launch mass of 168kg and will be launched into an initial sun-synchronous orbit. After launch SSTL will complete commissioning of the spacecraft and will perform orbit-raising manoeuvres to achieve the final planned orbit. Command of the spacecraft will then be handed over to Telesat for in-orbit operations using the Ka-band payload.
CARBONITE-2, is a technology demonstration mission owned and operated by SSTL that will demonstrate a low cost video-from-orbit space solution using COTS technologies. The 100kg spacecraft flies a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) telescope and HD video both of which have been adapted for a space environment and integrated into a custom built framework. The imaging system is designed to deliver 1m GSD images and colour HD video clips with a swath width of 5km.
On 21 November 2017 British company Earth-i signed a contract with SSTL to supply 5 CARBONITE series satellites for a new full-colour video imaging constellation planned for launch in 2019.
CARBONITE-2 is a follow-on mission to CARBONITE-1, launched in 2015. The CARBONITE series of platforms are designed for rapid re-visit constellations providing high resolution images, 3-D imaging and video from space. SSTL is a leading supplier of LEO missions to commercial operators: previous missions include Beijing-1, the 5 satellite RapidEye constellation, Deimos-1, exactView-1, KazEOSAT-2 and the 3 satellite TripleSat constellation. 
LEO-1 has been previously referred to as LEO-Prototype-1.
Image 2: CARBONITE-2 with SSTL engineers: Credit SSTL/Beaucroft Photography
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About SSTL
Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is the world's leading small satellite company, delivering operational space missions for a range of applications including Earth observation, science and communications. The Company designs, manufactures and operates high performance satellites and ground systems for a fraction of the price normally associated with space missions, with 500 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite subsystems and optical instruments.
Since 1981, SSTL has built and launched 50 satellites for 20 international customers – as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA , international governments and commercial customers, with an innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.
Headquartered in Guildford, UK, SSTL is part of the Airbus Group.
www.sstl.co.uk
About Telesat
Telesat is a leading global satellite operator, providing reliable and secure satellite-delivered communications solutions worldwide to broadcast, telecom, corporate and government customers. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices and facilities around the world, the company’s state-of-the-art fleet consists of 15 satellites, the Canadian payload on ViaSat-1, and two new satellites under construction. An additional two satellites are now being readied for launch into low earth orbit (LEO) as part of Telesat’s plans to deploy an advanced, global LEO satellite constellation offering low latency, high throughput broadband services. Telesat also manages the operations of additional satellites for third parties. Privately held, Telesat’s principal shareholders are Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral Space & Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LORL).
Quelle: SURREY