Airbus Defence and Space-built PeruSAT-1 delivers first images

The PeruSAT-1 satellite, designed and built by Airbus Defence and Space, the world's second largest space company, has delivered its first images after its successful launch on 16 September from Kourou.

"We constructed PeruSAT-1 in a record time of less than 24 months and now, after having completed the orbital maneuvers to reach its operational orbit at an altitude of 695 km, it has delivered its first image for the Peruvian Space Agency (CONIDA). I would like to thank all the teams for their efforts in achieving this latest milestone," said Nicolas Chamussy, Head of Space Systems.

Airbus Defence and Space is the world's leading exporter of Earth observation satellites, and PeruSAT-1 is based on the highly flexible, compact AstroBus-S platform featuring a state-of-the-art silicon carbide optical instrument system with 70 cm resolution. It will collect images for use in agriculture, urban planning, border control and drug trafficking, and will support the management of humanitarian aid and the evaluation of natural disasters, among other applications.

From now until the end of the year, exhaustive in-orbit tests will be carried out from the CNOIS control centre (Centro Nacional de Operaciones de Imagenes Satelitales) built by Airbus Defence and Space, in Pucusana, south of Lima to ensure that all subsystems are operating properly. PeruSAT-1 satellite system will then be commissioned and handed over to the fully trained Peruvian engineers and technicians of the customer CONIDA.

Constructed in a record time of less than 24 months, PeruSAT-1 is currently the most powerful Earth observation satellite in the Latin American region. The result of a bilateral agreement between Peru and France, PeruSAT-1 gives Peru a sovereign capability and will play a key role in bringing the benefits of space to its society.