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Italy and Earth Observation Systems

Although Italy's series of small San Marcosatellites (1964-1988) included some upper atmospheric studies, Earth observation was not a principal objective. In 1987 development began on the German-Italian X-SAR project to produce an X-band synthetic aperture radar for flight on the US Space Shuttle. The first two missions were flown on STS-59 (April, 1994)and STS-68 (September, 1994). X-SAR's 10-mlong, 0.4 m wide antenna operated at a frequency of 9.6 GHz with a resolution as small as 10m. An advanced X-SAR design is currently under investigation (References 558-559, 576-577).

On 31 August 1993, Italy's Temisat microsatellite was launched along with the Russian Meteor 2-21 spacecraft. Although essentially a small data relay satellite, one of Temisat's primary missions is to collect environmental data from as many as 1,000 ground sensors and retransmit the information to central data processing facilities.

Aliena Spazio, the primary Italian firm which supported X-SAR, is now promoting the Constellation for Mediterranean Observation (COSMO) concept of seven small (550 kg) satellites for Earth observation. Four of the spacecraft would be equipped with a synthetic aperture radar, while the other three vehicles would carry optical sensors. As envisioned, COSMO would be sponsored by Italy, Greece, and Spain but would make its products available to the general European community. COSMO follows the earlier Alenia Spazio designer for a heavier, multi-frequency platform (References 578-580).

558. DARA Information 1991. Space Research for a Global Perspective, DARA, Bonn, June 1991.

559. "DASA Ships Radar For Shuttle Mission", Aviation Week and Space Technology, 26 October 1992, p. 75.

560. Experiments in Space. The Second German Spaclab Mission D-2, DLR, Cologne-Porz, March 1992.

561. MOMS-02, brochure distributed by DARA, DLR, Deutsche Aerospace, AGE, and IFP, 1994.

562. GEO-Information-Systems, Vol. 6, No. 1, 1993, pp. 1-30.

563. MOMS-02-D2 Data Catalogue, DARA, July 1994.

564. Annual Report 1988-89, Department of Space, Government of India, 1989.

565. PTI News Agency, 16 October 1994.

566. All-India Radio, 15 October 1994.

567. "IRS-P2 Remote Sensing Craft Declared Operational", Space News, 21 November- 4 December 1994, p. 17.

568. K.P. Corbley, "EOSAT-India Partnership Broadens International Remote Sensing Market", Earth Space Review, Vol. 3, No. 4, 1994, pp. 20-26.

569. D.F. Robertson, "India Strikes Out for Commercial Golds, Space, March-April 1995, pp. 3-5.

570. V. Raghuvanshi, "Germany to Supply Part for India's IRS-P2", Space News, 8-14 February 1993, p. 20.

571. A. Lawler, "India's IRS-1C Satellite To Offer Sharper Images", Space News, 25-31 May 1992, p. 11.

572. "India Building Follow-On Remote Sensing Spacecraft", Space Fax Daily, 23 November 1992, p. 1.

573. V. Raghuvanshi, "India Prepares Second Generation IRS Spacecraft for 1995 Launch", Space News, 1-7 August 1994, p.18.

574. W. Ferster, "India Readies Sharper IRS-1C for Molniya Launch", Space News, 9-15 January 1995, p. 3.

575. W. Ferster, "India's Data Policy Stalls Remote-Sensing Ambitions", Space News, 20-26 February 1995, p. 3.

576. "X-SAR Accepted", Space, October 1993, p. 7.

577. J.T. McKenna, "Mission 59 To Survey Earth With Multiband Radar", Aviation Week and Space Technology, 11 April 1994, pp. 64-65.

578. R. Riccitiello, "Italians Weigh Two Approaches for Earth Sensing Satellites", Space News, 8-14 March 1993, p.18.

579. "Alenia Spazio Negotiates Cosmos Satellite Project", Space News, 20-26 March 1995, p. 11.

580. T. Pirard, "Small is Beautiful", Spaceflight, April 1995, pp. 122-124.

Sources and Resources

• Adapted from: Europe and Asia in Space 1993-1994, Nicholas Johnson and David Rodvold [Kaman Sciences / Air Force Phillips Laboratory]

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