[Satellite TODAY 10-21-11] Astrium Services signed a three-year contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to deliver satellite images under the terms of the European Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program, Astrium announced Sept. 20.

   The contract is initially worth 17 million euros ($23.3 million) and is being funded by the European Commission (EC). Astrium Services will provide optical data from the Spot 4/5 and FormoSat-2 satellites and radar images from the TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites, plus additional data from the Pleiades constellation and the Spot 6/7 satellites.

ESA said it would use the data to help improve the quality of the geo-information services with which the European governments aim to implement environmental and crisis-management policies. The data and services will be available to all public users on a European, national and regional level.

   “As well as confirming Astrium Services’ role as suppliers of satellite-based data, it will also enable us to develop and enhance the services we provide to civil emergency response groups (SAFER) and environmental protection agencies (GeoLand) in Europe. SAFER has been activated more than a hundred times in the past two years, and GeoLand has helped to improve environmental protection in Europe by providing more accurate land-usage data,” Astrium Services Head of GEO-Information Patrick Le Roch said in a statement.