Geonorth image from Astrium’s Spot 6 Satellite. Photo: Astrium

[Via Satellite 12-17-13] Astrium and GeoNorth are working together to build the first multi-mission Direct Receiving Station (DRS), with a unique offering of both high-resolution and very high-resolution optical and radar satellite imagery capabilities.

The agreement will give GeoNorth the capability of priority tasking the Astrium Services satellite constellations to capture imagery anywhere on the globe and downlink data to its processing terminal located at the Alaska satellite facility in Fairbanks. It provides for a multi-satellite DRS that will draw on the Spot (5 and 6), Pléiades (1A and 1B), TerraSAR X and TanDEM X satellites – with resolutions across optical and radar products ranging from 0.25m to 40m.

“The addition of optical and radar remote sensing capture and processing capabilities complements and expands our existing geospatial technologies expertise,” said Brian Minster, co-founder and general manager, GeoNorth.