Tel Aviv: In parallel to the development of small satellites, the space division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is developing a system that will enable the simultaneous control and ”health monitoring” of them in space.
The need for such a system, according to Shlomi Sudri – VP and general manager of IAI’s space division, stems from the growing demand for small satellites with EO or radar payloads. “More and more countries want smaller satellites that can cover smaller areas and this brought us to develop the cloud based systems that enables the control of a large number of satellites of different types,” he said.
IAI is a top-tier provider of high-end reconnaissance satellites with both EO and SAR capabilities. They are made to be small mini-satellites that can ride along with bigger satellites on commercial missions or be put into orbit by smaller satellite launchers. For example, the OPTSAT 3000 is a third-generation IAI EO Observation Satellite that builds on the company’s extensive history of observation spacecraft. This adaptable system is created to satisfy crucial national criteria as well as multipurpose uses.
IAI says that the OPTSAT 3000 offers its clients operational independence and total sovereignty with the help of the related ground control stations, which were also designed and constructed by IAI. According to IAI, these satellites deliver great image quality, agility, and multimode imaging capability with high geo-location precision. By enhancing observation capacity where or when EO observation is constrained, the TecSAR satellite series complements the EO satellites.
Despite its small size, it performs better and is more agile than comparable satellites, and the high-quality images it produces are made possible by its exceptional manoeuvrability and picture resolution, thanks to its IAI’s ELM-2070 lightweight SAR, which was created especially for Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) Image Intelligence (IMINT) Satellites.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
