Five-Satellite RapidEye Constellation Launched Successfully

摘要

The five-satellite RapidEye commercial Earth observation constellation was launched successfully Aug. 29 aboard a silo-based Dnepr rocket from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. All five satellites have sent signals and are healthy in low Earth orbit, the satellite's owners and the prime contractor said. Brandenburg, Germany-based RapidEye AG, formed 10 years ago to build what was to have been an entirely privately funded Earth observation system, expects to begin operations of the five identical satellites following three months of in-orbit testing and final satellite positioning. "The launch and the satellites' condition in orbit all have gone perfectly," RapidEye Chief Executive Wolfgang Beidermann said in an interview. "We expect to be operational in about 13 weeks. The year 2008 therefore will be negligible in terms of revenues, but our targets for 2009 are at least 20 million euros ($29.5 million) . Anything north of that we will consider a successful year."