SSTL has the facilities, expertise and teams to work on multiple missions and projects.
Our current projects include:
NigeriaSat-2
Customer: National Space Research & Development Agency (Government of Federal Republic of Nigeria)
Mission objective: Earth observation for agricultural and environmental monitoring and population mapping
Satellite platform: SSTL-300
NigeriaSat-2 is due for launch in Quarter 4 2010 on a Dnepr rocket from Yasny
NX
Customer: National Space Research & Development Agency (Government of Federal Republic of Nigeria)
Mission objective: Training satellite to be launched into the Disaster Monitoring Constellation
Satellite platform: SSTL-100
NX is due for launch in Quarter 4 2010 on a Dnepr rocket from Yasny
VNIIEM
Customer: NPP VNIIEM (Russia)
Mission objective: Earth observation for agricultural and environmental monitoring
3 satellite platforms
Flight model 1 and 2 delivered to customer for integration of non SSTL equipment.
GMP (Geostationary Minisatellite Platform)
Customer: European Space Agency & British National Space Centre
Mission objective: Geostationary communications satellite platform baselined for a variety of missions including C, Ku, X-band
Satellite platform: SSTL GMP-T
SAPPHIRE
Customer: MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates (MDA)
Mission objective: To provide a satellite-based Resident Space Object (RSO) observing service that will provide accurate tracking data on deep space orbiting objects. SAPPHIRE will feature a space-based data collection platform for continuous surveillance of manmade objects in medium to high Earth orbits (6,000 to 40,000 km). The data collected will be processed by a ground-based system and the results will be used to update the U.S. Satellite Catalogue that is used by both NORAD and Canada to provide space situational awareness.
Satellite platform: SSTL-150
ADS-1B
Customer: COM DEV
Mission objective: ADS-1B will form part of the COM DEV AIS constellation used by ships and traffic to, for example, monitor ship movements through busy shipping channels and harbours and to provide information on global shipping movements
Satellite platform: SSTL-100
Payloads for Europe's satellite-supported navigation system
Customer: OHB System AG
SSTL has been selected by ESA to supply 14 navigation payloads for the deployment phase of Europe's satellite-supported navigation system. Under the contract, SSTL will be responsible for the design, manufacture and test of these navigation payloads using equipment procured mainly from European suppliers. SSTL will also manufacture some of the electronics to interface with the satellite bus built by OHB-System and the navigation payload.
EarthCARE
Customer: Astrium GmbH
Mission objective: As part of the Earth Observation Envelope Programme (EOEP) led by ESA to cover primary research objectives, the EarthCARE mission will be the third Earth Explorer Core Mission. The mission will be implemented in collaboration with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency who will provide one of the core instruments. The EarthCARE mission has been specifically defined with the basic objective of improving the understanding of cloud-aerosol-radiation interactions so as to include them correctly and reliably in climate and numerical weather prediction models. EarthCARE will meet these objectives by measuring simultaneously the vertical structure and horizontal distribution of cloud and aerosol fields together with outgoing radiation over all climate zones. SSTL's role in this mission is to provide a Multi Spectral Imager (MSI) Instrument by development, manufacturing, testing and operations support during Phase B/C/D/E1.
Kazakhstan
Customer: KGS
Mission objective: Earth observation for monitoring natural resources and agriculture and providing mapping data, and provision of a training programme.
Satellite platform: SSTL 150-plus
European Student Mission to the Moon (ESMO)
Customer: ESA
Mission objective: SSTL is managing ESA's ESMO programme which will place a spacecraft for lunar orbit to map the lunar surface, acquire images and other scientific data. The project kicked-off in October 2009 with each spacecraft subsystem, payload and ground segment being designed, built and operated by groups of students from 19 universities based in ESA Member states and Co-operating States.
Find out more about ESMO on ESA's website.