Sunnyvale, US: Lockheed Martin announced that it has successfully completed the Space System Critical Design Review (CDR) of GeoEye-2 two weeks ahead of schedule. GeoEye-2 is GeoEye’s next-generation, high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite.
The review validated the detailed design of the spacecraft and command and control portion of the ground system to ensure it meets all program requirements for GeoEye’s commercial and government users and marks the program’s transition to production.
According to the company’s press statement, once operational in 2013, GeoEye-2 will be the world’s highest resolution commercial satellite, providing highly accurate images to intelligence analysts, war fighters, and decisions makers across the globe.
The CDR phase included a series of detailed examinations of the satellite’s technical design as well as the command and control element of the ground system. The incremental reviews leading up to the final CDR verified that each aspect of the system would meet mission requirements.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services will launch GeoEye-2 aboard an Atlas V rocket. GeoEye-2 will feature significant improvements to its predecessors, including enhanced tasking and the ability to collect more imagery at a faster rate with a new ITT camera.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company is developing GeoEye-2 under a fixed-price contract with GeoEye. GeoEye-2 is based on the latest generation of the LMx configure-to-order low Earth orbit bus product line initiated with the Lockheed Martin-built IKONOS satellite.
Source: Lockheed Martin
