May Offer Significantly Less-Expensive Future Space Missions

The first high resolution images of the Earth transmitted by TopSat, the micro-satellite designed and built by a consortium of British firms led by QinetiQ, have been received at QinetiQ's West Freugh ground station. The low cost Earth observation satellite is six weeks into its mission following a successful October 27 launch from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Northern Russia.

TopSat is a major step forward in the affordability of space missions, providing 2.8-meter resolution images at a much reduced cost compared to larger satellites. Typically, current generation imaging satellites with comparable performance cost over five times more than TopSat, according to QinetiQ representatives.

"With improved performance and falling costs we are entering a very exciting era for small satellites. We genuinely believe that low cost ownership of space platforms is becoming a reality," said QinetiQ's space department manager Andrew Rogoyski, speaking on behalf of the consortium.

TopSat also has the best resolution per mass of any imaging satellite currently available so has a wide range of applications. These include mineral and petroleum exploration, forestry, flood monitoring and combating maritime oil pollution.

The images produced by TopSat (example below) are delivered in near-real time, enhancing its ability to support disaster relief operations in the event of landslides, earthquakes and other emergencies. Images can also be delivered to customers onscene via QinetiQ's fully mobile data ground station, or RAPIDS.

TopSat was designed and built by a consortium of British companies led by QinetiQ, whose role includes systems design and technical authority, provision of the major payload electronics units, operations management and ground segment.

"The first images received from TopSat mark the latest chapter in a genuine British success story," said Lord Sainsbury, minister with responsibility for the BNSC and UK space policy at the Department of Trade and Industry. "They represent the culmination of five years' work and are an example of what can be achieved when four British companies work together."

The first satellite of its kind in the UK, TopSat consists of an advanced optical camera, which is able to collect 17 x 17 km (10.5 miles) images of the earth with a black-and-white resolution of 2.86 meters (just over 9 feet) and a multispectral resolution of 5 meters 16.5 feet). This optical camera is integrated with an agile micro-satellite platform to permit pitch compensation maneuvers, allowing imaging of low illumination scenes.

According to QinetiQ, a future constellation of three or four TopSat satellites could image almost any point on the Earth at least once a day -- subject to cloud conditions -- opening up the potential for quick response imagery which is extremely cost effective to deliver.

FMI: www.qinetiq.com