Program: Rapideye

German Remote Sensing program for are agricultural mapping, growth monitoring, damage assessment for insurers, and yield prediction. Secondary application is cartography. To provide 6.5 m resolution multispectral imaging. Part of ESA's third party mission (TPM) program.

Program operated by Rapideye AG, Munich, Germany. DRL provided EUR 15 million financing.

Contract signed in Jun 2004: $124 million with in-orbit delivery. MDA contracted for $29 million with SSTL for 5 platforms and the ground station equipment. MDA's subcontractor Jena-Optronik GmbH of Jena, Germany, designed and built the imaging payloads.

Single launch for the 5 satellites aboard Dnepr The 5 satellites are placed in the same orbit, at 19 minutes interval.

The 5 RapidEye satellites are nicknamed Tachys, Mati, Choma, Choros and Trochia which are Greek words for Rapid, Eye, Earth, Space, Orbit.

Went operational in early 2009.

In June 2011, the company filled for the German equivalent of the US chapter-11. No change to products or deliveries is expected.

In Aug 2011, Rapideye AG was bought by Iunctus Geomatics Corp., now BlackBridge

In Jul 2015, the company was bought by Planet Labs

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External resources

http://www.rapideye.de/

http://www.blackbridge.com/
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