Ten Years Operations for IKONOS

The spacecraft collects 0.82-metre resolution black-and-white imagery while simultaneously collecting four-metre resolution multispectral data. These map-accurate images are used for applications in land management, environmental monitoring, local and regional government, national security, disaster relief, and many other geospatial applications.

IKONOS is based on the Lockheed Martin LM900 LEO, three-axis stabilised, remote sensing bus. At a weight of 1600 pounds (720kg), it's a stable, highly agile, precision pointing spacecraft ideally suited for high resolution remote sensing missions. In 2007, Lockheed Martin performed a life expectancy analysis of the spacecraft and determined it may continue to be fully operational into the next decade. IKONOS is one of 150 small satellites developed by Lockheed Martin, all of which have met or exceeded their design life.