SpaceX Seen as Lead Option To Launch Franco-Israel Sat

摘要

A French-Israeli multispectral imaging research satellite slated for launch in early 2014 could be placed into low Earth orbit by Hawthorne, Calif.-based Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), program officials here said. The Israel Space Agency is responsible for the Project Venus satellite platform, built by Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI), the launch vehicle interface and the satellite control center. The French space agency, CNES, is responsible for the vegetation mapping satellite's imaging camera and science mission center. Elop of Israel is developing the sensor under contract to CNES.