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[Satellite TODAY 04-09-13] Ball Aerospace & Technologies has started integration for DigitalGlobe’s next generation commercial remote-sensing satellite. The WorldView-3 satellite, scheduled for a mid-2014 launch, is the third in a series to employ the Ball Commercial Platform (BCP) 5000 – the WorldView-2, launched in 2009, and the WorldView-1, launched in 2007, also use the platform.
The integration of the control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) and the propulsion module for the WorldView-3 is currently underway in anticipation of the ITT Exelis imaging sensor delivery expected for mid-year. The environmental testing of the finished satellite is scheduled to begin in this fall after sensor integration and checkout is completed.
WorldView-3 will offer 31-centimeter resolution panchromatic, 1.24-meter resolution eight-band multispectral, and 3.72 meter resolution eight-band Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) imagery. The satellite’s CMGs can reorient it over a desired collection area in 4 to 5 seconds, compared to 30 to 45 seconds needed for traditional reaction wheels.
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