Kazakhstan’s first Earth observation satellite has been placed successfully in orbit

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Recently we have received the news from Airbus Defence & Space saying that Kazakhstan’s first Earth observation satellite has been placed successfully in orbit. Now we would like to explain what it is all about.

KazEOSat-1, the Republic of Kazakhstan’s first Earth observation satellite, was successfully launched in night on 29th of April 2014 on board a Vega launcher from the European Spaceport in Kourou (French Guiana). It is in a low Sun-synchronous orbit (about 700 km from Earth), from which it will operate, and has sent the first operational signal. KazEOSat-1 was built entirely by Airbus Defence and Space, the world’s second largest space company.

“Bravo to the Arianespace teams, who are responsible for the marketing and commercial exploitation of the European launchers at the Guiana Space Centre, for this latest success!”, said François Auque, Head of Space Systems. “And bravo as well to the Space Systems teams who have given their very best to provide the Republic of Kazakhstan with this cutting-edge multi-mission satellite”.

KazEOSat-1 is a very high-resolution (1 metre) satellite weighing 900 kg that will provide the Republic of Kazakhstan with a complete range of civil applications, including monitoring of natural and agricultural resources, the provision of mapping data, security applications, and support for rescue operations in the event of natural disasters.

KazEOSat-1 is based on the Astrobus platform, including technologies combining performance, quick delivery and high value for money, designed for missions as varied as imaging (Pléiades, SPOT 6 & 7, Ingenio, and others), environmental monitoring (Sentinel-2) and meteorology (Sentinel-5p). This state-of-the-art system also benefits from the unique expertise developed by Airbus Defence and Space in the field of SiC (silicon carbide) space structures and instruments. Together with its partner Boostec, the company has managed to create, through a series of achievements in space (e.g. Herschel, Gaia), an economic sector that is today crowned with success. The SiC produced in the Midi-Pyrénées region is exported worldwide.

KazEOSat-1 is the high-resolution element of a space observation system that will comprise two satellites and their ground segment. The medium-resolution satellite, KazEOSat-2, is built by SSTL, a British subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space.

These two satellites form part of “Kazakhstan’s Space Plan”, which also includes the construction in Astana, the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, of a satellite integration & test centre, for which key equipment is being supplied by Airbus Defence and Space. In 2009, Airbus Defence and Space was chosen by Kazakhstan as a strategic partner in this Space Plan, and has already trained 60 engineers and technicians from Kazakhstan. Airbus Defence and Space and the joint stock company Kazakhstan Garysh Sapary, a national company under the supervision of the National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, have formed a joint-venture named Ghalam in order to run this centre.

Here is the video material regarding this news.