Astrium signed in August 2008 a contract for the development of the SSOT
system (Sistema satelital para Observación de la Tierra). SSOT comprises
one high resolution Earth observation satellite and associated ground segment, a complete
partnering and training programme and the satellite launch planned for early 2010.
The SSOT high resolution Earth observation satellite will be designed, built,
integrated and tested by Astrium. The SSOT programme also includes the development and
setting up of a ground control segment and image processing facilities enabling the
satellites to be directly operated and controlled from Chile by the Chilean authorities.
The co-operation agreement makes provision for Chilean engineers to work alongside the
Astrium development team. They will be given intensive training in space technology and
will participate directly in SSOT project development.
The system will enable Chile to obtain extremely high quality images for use in a wide
variety of applications both in the defence and civil domains: cartography; agricultural
management; forestry; water, mineral and oil resources; crop protection; natural disaster
response; urban planning, etc.
SSOT is equipped with NAOMI (New AstroSat Optical Modular Instrument), a latest-generation payload capable of supplying images with a
resolution of 1.45 m in panchromatic mode and 5.8 m in each of four colour bands in
multispectral mode. The spacecraft is based on the AstroSat-100 / Myriade platform.
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