After having successfully completed the required pre-launch tests, SSTL’s UK-DMC2 satellite will be fully launched on July 29, 2009 at 18:46 UTC. It now sits on a Dnepr vehicle at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, waiting for the final seconds into launch.
The UK-DMC2 has had a number of modifications and improvements over the earlier versions of the spacecraft, contributing to developing evolutionary design approach of the SSTL. The satellite is also reportedly being used as test bed for other technologies while supporting a BNSC-sponsored school science experiment called POISE.
To be operated by DMCii, a subsidiary company, the new satellite will provide an enhanced imaging capability and operational services to the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC). The UK-DMC2 carries much higher resolution optical payload that will render 22m ground sample distance (GSD) images. This imagery has twice the data intensity of the 32m GSD of which four are currently operating satellites in the constellation. The major difference is the 22m imagery has no recorded loss of signal to noise ratio and can maintain the ultra-wide 600+ km swath, making the satellite have much lesser “dead time”.
UK-DMC2 also carries two high-speed X-band transmitters that will operate at 20Mbps or 80Mbps which will enable the satellite to download images ten times faster than the older spacecraft version. From the storage capacity of only 1 to 1.5 Gbytes, the UK-DMC2can store as much as 12 Gbyte. These two major advancements of higher power generation and bigger storage systems will have Europe and other countries rapidly mapped by the UK-DMC2.
It is reported that the UK-DMC2 satellite will be launched into a sun-synchronous orbit alongside Deimos-1, another DMC satellite built by SSTL for Spanish company Deimos Space. In this event, the number of functional DMC satellites in space just reached six.
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While India could launch its satellite navigation system in less than two years, the Peoples Republic of China sees itself owning and operating one in the year 2015. In such event, China will materialize the plan to complete its system called COMPASS satellite which will then be independent of foreign technology. For many years now, China has remained relying on the US-developed Global Positioning System, such that completing their own project could mean severing their ties to the US in terms of needing the GPS services.
The United States government stated warnings that the satellite navigation systems could start going down next year, an issue which caused alarm to many motorists and other civilians whose daily drives are dependent on the technology.
The people have a reason to rejoice. Pretty soon they can have their own satellite-based navigation system for air traffic management. The GPS-aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) System will be providing mainly satellite-based navigation for civil aviation over Indian airspace and adjoining countries in South and East Asia.