News Archive 2007

The FloodServer, a novel platform designed to provide extensive flood risk information for the whole of Europe quickly, reliably and easily accessible for everybody, is now available online at www.floodrisk.eu.

Although TerraSAR-X, the first German radar satellite for Earth observation, has been in orbit less than two months and is not yet fully operational, it is already delivering outstanding images for numerous applications.

The first TerraSAR-X image delivered by DLR's processing system captures a region in Southern Russia, showing the entry of the Wolga-Don-Channel into the Don river near the city of Kalach-na-Donu.

The new German high resolution radar satellite TerraSAR-X has transmitted the first data in record time: only five days after the launch the first images were received by the ground station in Neustrelitz, Germany.

The German radar satellite TerraSAR-X was launched successfully on Friday, June 15th at 08:14 hrs local time (=04:14hrs CEST) from the Russian Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

TerraSAR-X is scheduled to be launched at 04.14 hrs CEST on Friday, June 15th, 2007. Excitement with Infoterra-, Astrium- and DLR-teams is growing, while all preparations are fully on schedule.

Integration of the satellite into the rocket adapter is now complete. All preparations are on track for the launch on June 15th.

TerraSAR-X has now been integrated into the Dnepr's fairing, and was transported to the launch pad.

Charging of the satellites batteries completed. Mounting the spacecraft on the rocket adapter will begin in the next days.

The new German radar satellite TerraSAR-X is to be launched on Jun 15th, 2007, at 04.14 hrs (CEST) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The electronical check-out of the launch vehicle was completed successfully. TerraSAR-X will be unloaded from its container this coming weekend.

European Environment Agency awards first GMES Land Cover Mapping contract

Built-up areas and soil sealing in Europe to be mapped by 2008

The final launch preparations for TerraSAR-X -expected to require another four to six weeks- can begin, permitting a potential launch date in late May / early June.

EADS Astrium team members from Lampoldshausen carried out the delicate process of fuelling TerraSAR-X with the highly toxic propellant hydrazine. Concluding tests detected no traces of hydrazine on or around the spacecraft, proving that the TerraSAR-X's fuel system is leakproof.

The TerraSAR-X Launch Preparation team from EADS Astrium in Friedrichshafen has returned to Baikonur. Fuelling the spacecraft and the preparations of the launch itself are expected to require a total of four to six weeks of further preparation.

The spacecraft is now in the final operational configuration status, and TerraSAR-X itself has now completed all tests necessary prior to launch.

The after-flight-tests of bus and instruments ran very smoothly; further, the final software versions were uploaded onto the on-board computer. All in all, the spacecraft is coming close to reaching its final configurations.

The large part of the team that will prepare the new German radar satellite TerraSAR-X for launch has arrived at the launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, March 8th.

The new German radar satellite TerraSAR-X is ready for the first functional tests to be performed after having been transported to its launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

The new German radar satellite TerraSAR-X has safely reached its launch site in Baikonur, Kazhakstan, aboard the largest standard transport aircraft in the world, an Antonov AN 124.

The new German radar satellite TerraSAR-X has left Friedrichshafen airport aboard the largest standard transport aircraft in the world, an Antonov AN 124, today - set for the destination of Baikonur, Kazhakstan, from where it will be brought into orbit.

The new German radar satellite TerraSAR-X is ready for transport. EADS Astrium engineers have now loaded the spacecraft into its container. Later this month, it will be flown to the launch site in Baikonur (Kazachstan) aboard the largest standard transportation aircraft in the world, an Antonov 124.