French Guiana: Arianespace’s Vega mission with DZZ-HR, Kazakhstan’s first Earth observation satellite has entered its final preparation phase for a liftoff from the Spaceport in French Guiana. The mission is set for April 28, at an exact liftoff time of 10:35:15 p.m. from Vega’s SLV launch complex.
KazEOSat-1 is the high-resolution element of a space observation system that will comprise two satellites and their ground segment. These two satellites form part of Kazakhstan’s Space Plan, which also includes the construction in Astana, the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, of a satellite integration and test centre.
With a nominal design service lifetime of 7.25 years, the high-resolution satellite, currently called DZZ-HR, will be renamed KazEOSat 1 once it reaches its assigned orbit. The KazEOSat 1 is built by Airbus Defence and Space and is a very high-resolution (1 metre) satellite. The medium-resolution satellite, KazEOSat-2, is built by SSTL, a British subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space.
The satellite, from a low sun-synchronous orbit, will provide the Kazakhstan with a complete range of civil applications, including monitoring of natural and agricultural resources, provision of mapping data, and support for rescue operations in the event of a natural disaster.
Airbus Defence and Space signed with Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary (KGS) the contract to supply the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan with a space Earth observation system following an international tender process in 2009.
The real-time webcast of the launch can be seen here.
Source: Arianespace
