• Infoterra GmbH’s TerraSAR-X distribution network growing rapidly
• EADS Astrium builds German Radar Satellite

Friedrichshafen / Adelaide, 6 June, 2006 – The Australian geo-information provider Apogee Imaging International, based in Adelaide, Australia, has now become a Reference Partner within Infoterra GmbH’s distribution network for data delivered by the new German Earth observation radar satellite TerraSAR-X. The corresponding contract was recently signed by Joerg Herrmann, Managing Director of Infoterra GmbH and John Douglas, Managing Director of Apogee.
With this contract, Apogee has not only secured its position as distributor of TerraSAR-X data in the territory of Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands and the Vanuatu Islands, but also taken a first step towards becoming an exclusive Direct Access Partner for this region. This will enable the company to directly receive TerraSAR-X data at its own ground station in Australia.

Almost half a year prior to TerraSAR-X’s launch, which is scheduled for October 31, 2006, from the Russian Space Center in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, John Douglas eagerly looks forward to the first TerraSAR-X datasets: “We are convinced that TerraSAR-X will become the leading SAR system in our region – its resolution of up to 1m, the weather and daylight independence, and its quick site access time of only two-and-a-half days – often even less – to any point on Earth make it an ideal sensor for a variety of applications. Thus, we are excited to have reached this agreement with Infoterra and to be the first to bring this unprecedented data to our clients.”

Joerg Herrmann is equally satisfied with the contract: “We are extremely pleased to have attained Apogee Imaging International as our Australasian Partner. The company is a leader in imagery intelligence and value-adding services in the region, and our partnership is rapidly growing through projects like the Australian CoastWatch Program, into many and varied commercial applications of the TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites. We are looking forward to a long and productive relationship with Apogee, which will surely be expanded further in the next years.”

Surrounding the Earth on a polar orbit at an altitude of 514 kilometers, TerraSAR-X will be collecting new-quality X-band radar data of the entire planet. The satellite will operate independently of weather conditions, cloud coverage, and illumination and will be capable of delivering data at a resolution up to 1 meter. TerraSAR-X, due to be launched October 31, 2006, is currently being prepared for launch by EADS Astrium, while the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is preparing the ground segment. The recently decided implementation of the TanDEM-X Mission - a second, very similar spacecraft that will orbit in a formation flight with TerraSAR-X - will allow the generation of a global Digital Elevation Model of an unprecedented accuracy, coverage and quality, starting 2009.

Download press release in english / german.

About Infoterra
Infoterra GmbH was launched in 2001 for the purpose of exclusively pursuing the exploitation of TerraSAR-X. This allows the company to offer to its clients an extensive portfolio of TerraSAR-X based products and services, ranging from basic radar imagery to sophisticated geo-information products and thematic applications, as well as direct access services. Furthermore, Infoterra GmbH has established a leading role in providing land services within the European GMES Initiative of the European Commission (EC) and European Space Agency (ESA)
Infoterra GmbH is part of the Infoterra group which comprises companies in France, Germany and the United Kingdom with 300 employees and a turnover of 50 Mio Euro per year. Infoterra GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS Astrium GmbH.

About Apogee
Apogee Imaging International has been providing overhead imagery and image analysis services to clients globally since 1995. An independent and Australian owned and operated company, Apogee provides a wide range of overhead imagery including, satellite and aerial IFSAR. Through the last decade Apogee has established a reputation for reliable delivery and a focus on the clients requirements. Apogee specializes in radar imagery and digital elevation models, developing advanced SAR software solutions in imagery intelligence and maritime surveillance. The partnership with Infoterra will extend beyond simply supplying imagery, into the development of new products and services for the TerraSAR constellation.