[Satellite TODAY 04-16-13] DMC International Imaging (DMCii) has signed an agreement with Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) that will increase the volume of imagery acquired and the speed in which it can be delivered. Under the agreement, KSAT will deliver a complete ground station service to DMCii, including the provision of hardware, and delivery of data to DMCii’s headquarters in the UK.

 

    “The improved downlink has significantly upgraded data delivery times and has already made 30% more imagery available, further improving capability for change detection applications.” Dave Hodgson, managing director of DMCii, said in a statement.

 

    The Svalbard ground station, located near the North Pole, provides increased downlink opportunities from polar-orbiting satellites such as those operated by DMCii. Whilst an antenna near the equator might get two or three passes of a satellite over it in a day, antennas at Svalbard get 14 passes a day, so satellite data can be downlinked every 90 minutes. A high-speed data link between Svalbard and DMCii headquarters will speed up the delivery time of satellite imagery.