An MDA ground station. Photo: MDA

[Via Satellite 09-25-2014] DigitalGlobe has selected MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) to build a new ground station for an international customer. The station will enable the customer to receive and process imagery from DigitalGlobe’s WorldView 1, WorldView 2 and WorldView 3 spacecraft.

According to MDA, the ground station will use a multi-satellite architecture that can receive data from additional future satellites. DigitalGlobe’s next satellite, WorldView 4, is slated to launch in 2016, and will carry an imager from Exelis. Like WorldView 3, it will be capable of providing 30-cm resolution imagery. DigitalGlobe accelerated the schedule for WorldView 4 following the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision to allow the sale of imagery with resolution as sharp as 25-cm.