SAR-Lupe, recon sat.

[Prinz Eugen]

Today the second German SAR-lupe recon sat has launched into space...

http://www.proacademia.de/bakwvt/ila2004/english/Bilder/sar_lupe.jpg

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sfn_070703_kosmos3m_lnch.html

The craft is the second member of a five-satellite fleet of military spy satellites under development by Germany. A large X-band radar dish antenna on each satellite can gather precise images through clouds and darkness.

The constellation uses synthetic aperture radar technology, which sends radio beams toward the ground. The pulses are reflected back into space from Earth's surface, and a receiver on the satellite collects the data.

Specialists on the ground can turn the data into detailed images for use by the German Defense Ministry. Officials project the satellite's images will allow analysts to see objects smaller than one meter, or about three feet.

The satellite was built by lead contractor OHB-System, a company based in Bremen, Germany. A group of European aerospace companies manufactured the craft's radar system.

The SAR-Lupe fleet's first satellite was launched in December and remains healthy, according to OHB-System.

Three additional satellites for the system will be launched in four-month intervals over the next year. Officials expect the constellation to be at full strength by the end of next year.




Some more Info:


SAR-Lupe Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) high-resolution images can be acquired day or night though all weather conditions

The five satellites operate in three 500-kilometre orbits in planes roughly sixty degrees apart. They use an X-band radar with a three-metre dish, providing a resolution of about 50 centimetres over a frame size of 5.5km on a side ('spotlight mode', in which the satellite rotates to keep the dish pointed at a single target) or about one metre over a frame size of 8km x 60km ('stripmap mode', in which the satellite maintains a fixed orientation over the earth and the radar image is formed simply by the satellite's motion along its orbit). Response time for imaging of a given area is 10 hours or less.

The testing of SAR-Lupe involved an inverse procedure, in which the satellite, mounted in a radome on Earth, was used to image the International Space Station, whose orbit is reasonably close to the one the satellite will eventually be in. One-metre resolution at the ISS was apparently achieved.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAR_Lupe

[Falco]

wasnt the sar lupe program in cooperation with france?
anyways good news :)

[Prinz Eugen]

wasnt the sar lupe program in cooperation with france?


All German:)
However there is a treaty to share the data of the sats with the French.
The SAR-Lupe satellites and the French Helios satellite will operate jointly to form a EU reconnaissance system.

[Falco]

All German:)
However there is a treaty to share the data of the sats with the French.
The SAR-Lupe satellites and the French Helios satellite will operate jointly to form a EU reconnaissance system.

cooool!
:smile1:

[Prinz Eugen]

Third SAR-Lupe satellite on course for lift-off
Final testing at IABG – lift-off scheduled for
November 1, 2007

Bremen, 08-17-07
Bremen-based space technology company OHB-System AG dispatched the third SAR-Lupe satellite yesterday evening at 10:00 pm. Its immediate destination is the IABG satellite testing center, where space conditions can be simulated to a very large extent. There it will undergo a final series of intensive testing over a period of some eight weeks, after which it will be deemed fit for lift-off from the Russian launch pad in Plesetzk.
The launch of the third radar satellite in the SAR-Lupe system has been scheduled for November 1, 2007. Like its two predecessors, it will be placed in its low-earth orbit on board a Russian COSMOS 3M.
The first two SAR-Lupe satellites have been orbiting since December 19, 2006 and July 2, 2007, respectively. They are supplying high-resolution images and operating very successfully and reliably.

http://www.ohb-system.de/gb/News/presse/1708_07.html

[Sinosphere]

This is nice, good for Germany. :wub2:

[chaos]

good for germany. how did they send it to space?
i hope israel will send its "TechSAR" SAR satellite soon ^^

[Prinz Eugen]

They are launching in Baikonur/Russia or in French Guiana in S.America. The company is using a Russian build COSMOS 3M this time , the first sat was launched via a Ariane rocket but i belive the Russians offer a better price value ratio...

[QQ阿]

Which country(s) are Germany trying to spy on? I thought they are at peace?

[Falco]

Which country(s) are Germany trying to spy on? I thought they are at peace?

its not about spying.

the army needs satelites for reconnaissance.

[Prinz Eugen]

Third SAR-Lupe satellite launched successfully into its orbit

Satellite control is currently in the hands of the German Space Agency DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen. The ground station of the German Armed Forces in Gelsdorf is tracking the satellite at the same time and will assume operative responsibility for it in around four weeks at which point in time the radar will start collecting SAR radar images.

In orbit since December 2006 and July 2007, respectively, the first two SAR-Lupe satellites are supplying outstanding high-resolution images and operating very successfully and reliably.
The remaining two satellites will be launched in intervals of four or five months, with the entire system to be fully operational in 2008.

http://www.ohb-system.de/gb/News/presse/0111_07.html