Abstract
The UK’s “TopSat” programme has been used to demonstrate the ability to build and operate a low-cost optical satellite capable of generating timely high quality imagery for a wide range of applications. Rapid end-to-end timeliness has been combined with a low-cost approach, leading to a world leading performance-to-cost ratio.
Historically, end-to-end timeliness has been a major constraint for space-based systems. During demonstrations using the TopSat spacecraft and RAPIDS mobile ground station, a total end-to-end timeliness (i.e. from image selection to image delivery) of less than 37 minutes was achieved.
TopSat and missions of this class are set to revolutionise the space remote sensing business, through reductions in costs and thus greater numbers of spacecraft. This will allow missions to be tailored much more exclusively to the requirements of major users.
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Reference
E. Baxter, J. Laycock, W.A. Levett, TopSat: High quality imagery from a low-cost satellite (ESA 4S Symposium 2006)
D. Petley, S. Dunning, N. Rossser, On the application of TopSat for the rapid assessment of landslide impacts (EGU General Assembly 2007)
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© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
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Baxter, E., Levett, B. (2008). TopSat: Lessons Learned from a Small Satellite Mission. In: Sandau, R., Röser, HP., Valenzuela, A. (eds) Small Satellites for Earth Observation. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6943-7_35
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6943-7_35
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-6942-0
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