• The Pléiades 1B Earth-imaging satellite will be orbited 2:01 UT on 1 December 2012 from Kourou atop a Soyuz launcher  
• Pléiades 1B will be phased 180° from Pléiades 1A on the same orbit, the two satellites facing each other to provide daily revisit, very-high-resolution capability

Toulouse France – 22 October 2012 – Astrium Services is pleased to announce to customers, partners and the remote-sensing industry that Arianespace has set the launch of Pléiades 1B for Saturday 1 December 2012 at 2:01 UT. The second satellite in the Pléiades constellation will be orbited by a Soyuz launcher from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana.

Once Pléiades 1B has joined Pléiades 1A in orbit, they will form a constellation of identical twin satellites operated by Astrium Services. The two satellites will be phased 180° on the same orbit to ensure daily revisits to any point on the globe. This unique very-high-resolution configuration will offer civil and military users faster imaging of areas of interest, a regular surveillance capability and a twofold increase in coverage.

With 50-cm products delivered in record time, multiple imaging modes and daily revisits, the Pléiades constellation will enable more-detailed Earth observation for a broad spectrum of precision applications including site monitoring, disaster relief support, urban mapping and sustainable management of natural resources.

A constellation of 4 satellites en route to orbit

The launch of Pléiades 1B marks the third step in the formation of a constellation of four satellites combining a double daily revisit capability and an ingenious range of resolutions.

From 2014, this constellation will comprise Pléiades 1A and Pléiades 1B, delivering 50-cm imagery products, and SPOT 6 and SPOT 7, designed to assure continuity of service after SPOT 5 and to supply high-resolution data products (1.5 m). SPOT 6 was launched on 9 September 2012.

Astrium Services is the exclusive distributor of data and geo-information products from this unique constellation.  

Through its GEO-Information business, Astrium Services is recognized as one of the leaders in the geo-spatial information market, not least thanks to the now fully integrated skills and resources of the former Spot Image and Infoterra. The company provides decision-makers with complete solutions enabling them to increase security, boost agricultural performance, maximize oil & gas or mining operations, improve their management of natural resources, and protect the environment. It has exclusive access to data from the SPOT, TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X and Pléiades satellites, coupled with a complete range of space-based data sources and airborne acquisition capability allowing it to offer an unrivalled scope of Earth observation products and services. This extensive portfolio covers the entire geo-information supply chain, from the generation of images to the provision of high added-value information to end-users.

By leveraging the synergies and expertise available across the whole of Astrium Services, its GEO-Information teams develop innovative, yet competitive, custom-made solutions based on the combination and integration of Earth observation, navigation and high-end telecommunications.

Dr. Fabienne Grazzini    
Operational Marketing
GEO-Information Services

Astrium Services

5 rue des Satellites, BP 14359

F-31030 Toulouse Cedex 4 – France

Tel: +33 (0) 5 62 19 41 19 | Fax: +33 (0) 5 62 19 42 54 | Mobile: +33 (0) 6 76 08 39 72

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