EADS and Infoterra To Supply Radar Satellite Data

This Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract has a value of up to USD85 million, and involves the supply of imagery from TerraSAR-X, an EADS Astrium-built synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, along with related products and direct downlink services. The data will enable the NGA to provide other U.S. government and DoD agencies improved information acquisition capabilities - particularly in bad weather and low light conditions.

During the new five-year contract, TerraSAR-X will be complemented with another EADS Astrium-built SAR satellite, TanDEM-X, which is scheduled to be launched in 2010. Together they will create a unique twin-satellite formation that will collect data for a global digital elevation model.

The SAR instruments on TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X enable large-area coverage as well as extremely high resolution and geolocation accuracy - performance that is particularly well suited for reconnaissance and intelligence applications. Data and products supplied under this contract can be used in processing centers of US Department of Defense agencies and the US intelligence community, as well as down linked directly to ground receiving facilities. Satellite images, fused with other intelligence and geospatial information deliver actionable information to national decision makers and warfighters.

NGA, as the Department of Defense's (DoD) sole procurer of commercial remote sensing (CRS) data, routinely procures commercial imagery from both domestic and foreign sources. NGA and its mission partners utilise commercial SAR data for intelligence, military and homeland security applications.