The SPOT 6 and SPOT 7 Direct Receiving Station (DRS) installed at South African National Space Agency (SANSA) premises by Airbus Defence and Space has allowed to cover the entire country (1 221 000 km²) at 1.5m resolution in just 3 months. The SPOT 6/7 images are now available for ordering from SANSA and new acquisitions are already on-going to support a second country coverage during the rest of 2015. This double coverage within one calendar year ensures improved seasonal data collections. Further, the creation of a 1.5m seamless country mosaic is also planned for yearend.
With the deployment of the SPOT 6/7 Direct Receiving Station (DRS) in 2014, Airbus Defence and Space and SANSA have reinforced their long-lasting relation began in 1989 with the SPOT 1 data reception contract, later followed by SPOT 2 in 1990 and SPOT 4 in late 90’s. In 2006, a new era for South Africa remote sensing community started with the signature of the Telemetry and Distribution agreement for SPOT 5, allowing an annual coverage and the creation of a national mosaic over South Africa.
This DRS has been upgraded in 2014 to receive the SPOT 6 and SPOT 7 data.
Thanks to the highly increased acquisition capacity offered by the twin satellites, combined to a higher resolution, the first coverage of South Africa at 1.5m was acquired in 3 months and illustrated the possibility to acquire two full coverages over South Africa for the first time in history at such high resolution.
SPOT 6 and SPOT 7 are phased 180° apart from each other and form a genuine constellation flying at 694 km. They are each capable to collect up to three million km² per day and have opened up opportunities for many applications, providing the latest images within an unprecedented time frame.
More than 25 organizations around the world have already chosen to be part of Airbus Defence and Space’s Direct Receiving Station network and this number is continuing to grow.
Source: Airbus Defence and Space