The third Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation (COSMO)-Skymed commercial satellite (comsat) contract has been awarded to The Boeing Company’s [NYSE: BA] commercial launch business for Thales Alenia Space Italia. They are the prime contractor of the Italian Space Agency. Boeing successfully launched the first COSMO-SkyMed satellite on June 7th from Vandenberg A.F.B. in California and is planning to place the constellation’s second of four satellites into orbit later this year.
A Delta II expendable launch vehicle, in the 7420-10 configuration, will carry the COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft into orbit, again from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2008. Boeing Launch Services will procure the launch vehicle and related support from United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture.
Thales Alenia Space Italia developed the COSMO-SkyMed program for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence. It is an end-to-end Earth observation dual-use (civil and military) system comprised of four medium-sized satellites and supports ground stations for orbit control systems and data reception and processing. The system will take imagery of the Earth using an X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument capable of operating in all visibility conditions at the request of institutional and commercial users, including members of the civil, scientific and defense communities.
Boeing has provided Delta II tanks to Boeing since 2001 and built the Cupola and Harmony Node 2 elements (for the European Space Agency) of the International Space Station, for which Boeing is the prime contractor— Huntington Beach, California
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