Astrium recognised for its pioneering work in the commercialisation of radar imagery

Astrium’s new GEO-Information Services division wins prestigious Aviation Week Laureate Award via its Germany-based Infoterra entity.
•The Laureate Award honours the international industrial team that successfully commercialised space-based radar

Washington D.C., - Astrium’s GEO-Information Services Division through its German operation, Infoterra has been recognised for its outstanding achievement in successfully commercialising space-based radar imagery at Aviation Week’s 54th Annual Laureate Awards.

Winners in the Space category, as part of an international industrial team that also included MDA Geospatial Services and e-GEOs, Infoterra was honoured for making radar imagery a key element in the geospatial information packages used by governments, military services and businesses worldwide.

Dr. Vark Helfritz, Managing Director of Astrium GEO operations in Germany said:

“This latest award is testament to the pioneering work that Astrium Services has undertaken in both the acquisition and distribution of radar imagery.

Not only have we been successful in developing sophisticated radar satellites with the TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X missions, but we have also led the way in delivering high-quality, accurate radar imagery to the global market through our GEO-Information Services division.”

The Laureate Awards are designed to recognise outstanding individuals and teams for their achievements in the areas of aviation, aerospace and defence. The Infoterra team and its partners were praised for using instruments on the Astrium-built TerraSAR-X satellite, as well as Italy’s CosmoSkyMed and MDA’s Radarsat 1 and 2 satellites, in firmly establishing radar imagery and related services in the commercial arena.

By integrating the latest developments in information technology and Earth observation, Astrium GEO-Information Services provides a range of innovative solutions that span the entire geo-information value chain, including airborne and satellite data acquisition and processing, image analysis, data management and consultancy.

About Astrium

Astrium is the first European company for space technologies and a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2010, Astrium had a turnover of €5 billion and more than 15,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment, and Astrium Services for comprehensive end-to-end value-added solutions covering secure and commercial satcoms and networks, high security satellite communications equipment, bespoke geo-information and navigation services worldwide.



EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2010, the Group – comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 45.8 billion and employed a workforce of nearly 122,000.