The second Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Ministry of Defence’s COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation is accessible to users.
Therefore, the program reaches the important goal of having a fully operational CSG constellation, in line with the targets set by the Italian Space Agency and the Ministry of Defence which, in their role of customers, have promoted, funded and led the whole development program. This result confirms the outstanding skills of the Italian industry.
The operability of second-generation satellites will allow to ensure the full operational continuity of the whole COSMO-SkyMed mission and will gradually replace the first-generation satellites which were orbited 15 years ago. This step has allowed a significant increase in overall capabilities.
The CSG’s primary goal is to provide to a dual type of users, both civil and military, the Earth Observation services through a wide portfolio of both narrow-field and ultra-fine resolution products and wide-field products, obtained in the different operating modes of the SAR (Synthetic-aperture radar) sensor.
Today, the CSG represents the state of the art as regards Earth Observation systems based on radar technology, thanks to technological innovation and cutting-edge solutions introduced in the space and terrestrial components. Recent satellites are capable of ensuring significant improvements compared to first-generation satellites, which are still operational, in terms of performance, quality of images, efficiency of the services provided to civil and government users and higher service life. The high agility of the system, combined with a generational leap in terms of technology, allows to significantly expand the potential applications, which include the security and surveillance of territories and the prevention and analysis of calamitous events due to natural or man-made causes.
The contribution of the national industry to the development of this excellence of the country is essential, with Gruppo Leonardo. In particular, Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), is in charge of the manufacturing of the space segment (older and newer generation radar satellites) and the end-to-end system; Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%), is in charge of the Earth segment, logistics and operations. Leonardo contributes to the space segment by providing the star sensors for satellite orientation and the photovoltaic panels and electronic units to manage electric power.
e-GEOS, a company made up of Telespazio (80%) and the ASI (20%), is the exclusive dealer of the ASI for the marketing of COSMO-SkyMed and COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation products and services all over the world.
Courtesy of ASI
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