ITT Delivers Imaging Sensor for GeoEye-1 Satellite

ITT Corporation (NY, USA) its Space Systems Division has successfully shipped the next-generation commercial imaging payload for the GeoEye-1 satellite to General Dynamics (AZ, USA). ITT’s contribution includes the design and manufacture of the electro-optical assembly (camera) that will take pan-sharpened, multi-spectral images of the earth with better than 0.5-meter resolution from 425 miles above the Earth. GeoEye plans to launch GeoEye-1 later this year from Vandenberg AFB, California, USA.

The delivery of the GeoEye-1 payload is the second of three sensors to be supplied by ITT under the U.S. government’s NextView program. ITT delivered the first sensor to DigitalGlobe for its WorldView I satellite.

The GeoEye-1 satellite will be equipped with the most advanced technology ever used in a commercial remote sensing system. It will be able to precisely locate an object to within three metres of its true location on the surface of the Earth without the use of ground control points.

The ITT electro-optical ‘camera’ delivered to General Dynamics, includes the optical telescope assembly, the detectors and focal plane assembly, and the high-speed digital processing electronics.

Features include the following:
• 3 Camera Modes:
Simultaneous panchromatic and multispectral (pan-sharpened)
Panchromatic only
Multispectral only

•  Unprecedented ground spatial resolution of 0.41-meter panchromatic and 1.65-meter multispectral

•  Approximately 700,000 square kilometers of imagery collection potential per day in the panchromatic mode and 350,000 square kilometers in the multispectral mode

•  Real-time imagery downlinks to international ground station customers.

Source: ITT Corporation