[Satellite Today 07-15-08] Astrium has become the majority owner of Spot Image, buying additional sharesof the imagery satellite operator from the French Space Agency, CNES, Astrium announced July 15.
    Astrium now controls 81 percent of Spot Image and will work with Infoterra Group, Astrium’s geo-information products and services unit, within the Earth Observation division of Astrium Services.
    "Taking the majority stake in Spot Image is in line with Astrium’s strategic initiatives to build a strong European group acting internationally," Eric Beranger, CEO of Astrium Services, said in a statement. "Broadly, our objective by bringing together application and service activities is to significantly develop this business area by demonstrating the benefits that geo-information can bring for monitoring and managing the Earth’s assets. In short, a full range of Earth observation solutions enables leaders to make better decisions about our world."
    Spot Image, which operates the Spot imagery satellite constellation and has strategic partnerships to market data from other imagery spacecraft, will remain an independent company and continue its relationships with direct receiving stations, value-added resellers and distributors around the globe, Astrium said.
    "The Earth observation market has shifted in the past years from an industry dominated by a small number of experts to a truly commercial, competitive market serving operational applications," Hervé Buchwalter, CEO of Spot Image, said in a statement. "The change to Spot Image’s shareholding will reinforce the company’s ability to launch new programmes underpinned by a [public-private partnership] logic driven by private investors, so continuing our commitment to support the development of space services and deliver additional benefits to our customers."