Astrium signs new GMES contract with ESA

Contract for provision of satellite images to public institutions in Europe • Astrium Services to supply very-high-resolution coverage of Europe and, in times of crisis, even faster access to images anywhere in the world • GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment & Security) is a programme funded by the European Commission for the benefit of European citizens. The management of its space component has been delegated to ESA.

Paris, - Astrium Services has signed a three-year contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the delivery of satellite images under the terms of the European GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment & Security) programme. This contract, initially worth 17 million euros, is being funded by the European Commission.

The contract covers the provision of 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. This data will help improve the quality of the geo-information services with which the European governments aim to implement their environmental and crisis-management policies. The data and services will be available to all public users on a European, national and regional level.

According to Patrick Le Roch, Head of GEO-Information at Astrium Services, “This contract adds to the importance of Astrium’s place in the GMES programme. As well as confirming our 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 is recognized as one of the leaders in the geo-information market, not least thanks to the skills and resources of its now fully integrated, former subsidiaries Spot Image and Infoterra. The company provides decision-makers with multiservice solutions permitting them to increase security, protect the environment, or improve their management of natural resources. It enjoys exclusive access to data from the SPOT and TerraSAR-X satellites, coupled with a complete range of space-based data sources and airborne acquisition capability enabling it to offer an unrivalled portfolio of Earth observation services and products. This portfolio covers the entire geo-information supply chain, from the generation of images to their exploitation by the end user.

By making use of the synergies and expertise of Astrium Services, GEO-Information is also capable of developing competitive, innovative solutions based on the combination and integration of Earth observation, navigation and telecommunication applications.



About GMES

The GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment & Security) programme was created by the European Commission with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA). It aims to supply geo-information products and services based on the use of images from space that will help European institutions and public authorities to fulfil their mission of safeguarding the civil population, managing risks, and protecting the environment.





About Astrium

Astrium is the number one company in Europe 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 worldwide, mainly 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 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.