Pléiades 1B going strong and healthy

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Pléiades 1B going strong and healthy

The interim in-orbit assessment of Pléiades 1B, focusing primarily on orbit acquisition and satellite performance, was successfully completed on Thursday 10 January.

Pléiades 1B is second in the series of 2 satellites to be launched by France as part of the Orfeo programme. The Orfeo programme is a  project of the European Space Agency scheduled for completion in 2017. It’s composed of 6 next-generation, high-resolution satellites. Pleiades 1A and Pleiades 1B being the french part of the programme and 4 Cosmo-Skymed X-band satellites being the Italian part.

Pléiades 1B had reached its nominal orbit two days earlier and is now phased at 180 degrees with respect to Pléiades 1A. The final in-orbit acceptance review is expected in the course of February.

Pléiades 1B’s localisation performance is in line with the specifications, as are all other technical parameters.

All in all, excellent news for a satellite scheduled to enter commercial service before the end of February.

Pléiades Satellite Image of Millau Viaduct in France
The bridge’s road deck stands 270 metres high and spans 2,470 metres, making it the world’s highest and longest cable-stayed bridge. © CNES 2012

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SATPALDA is a privately owned company and a leading provider of satellite imagery and GeoSpatial services to the user community. Established in 2002, SATPALDA has successfully completed wide range of photogrammetric and Remote Sensing Projects.