e-GEOS (Telespazio/ASI) signs a multi-year contract in China to provide data and services with the Italian COSMO-SkyMed satellites

Beijing  16 February 2017 17:03

e-GEOS, a joint venture between Telespazio (80%) and the Italian Space Agency (20%), and Beijing Vastitude Technology, Chinese company active in the field of remote sensing and geo-information, have signed a multi-year agreement for the distribution in China of satellite data and related operational services generated by the Italian COSMO-SkyMed constellation.

Under this agreement, e-GEOS will provide satellite data to Beijing Vastitude Technology, its exclusive dealer in China, through a local ground station (CUT: Commercial User Terminal). The Italian company, in collaboration with the local partner, will also develop value-added civilian services such as monitoring of the Chinese territory and its stability.

Intended for the needs of local institutions and companies, satellite monitoring will ensure pinpoint accuracy of the information, providing the support necessary to check phenomena such as urban subsidence and landslides, or for the safety of major infrastructure such as railways and pipelines.

COSMO-SkyMed is one of the most innovative programmes in Earth observation, funded by the Italian Space Agency, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education. The system is a constellation of four satellites built by Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), equipped with radar sensors that can operate in all weather conditions and visibility and with an extremely high refresh frequency. Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%), built the system's entire ground segment and the Fucino Space Centre houses the control centre of the constellation. The Matera Space Centre managed by e-GEOS is responsible for the acquisition, processing and distribution of satellite data for civil applications. e-GEOS markets the COSMO-SkyMed data worldwide.