July 23, 2010 -- Astrium Services wholly owned subsidiary, Infoterra Ltd, has secured a further three year contract from the Farnborough Multi-Mission Processing and Archiving Facility (UK-MM-PAF) on behalf of the European Space Agency. Worth €7.5 million, the contract will see Infoterra continuing to deliver an operational service that will support the download and processing of images from both the ERS and ENVISAT satellite space missions.

ERS and ENVISAT together have provided data which underpins the latest Earth observation (EO) research, providing images which support operational applications as well as scientific understanding of climate change. Infoterra Ltd currently stores over eight millions images for this ever expanding EO community, providing an invaluable resource in our ability to understand the world in which we live.

Nick Veck, Director of Space Services for Infoterra Ltd said:

“This new contract builds upon Infoterra’s 20 years proven expertise in delivering an operational service to the European Space Agency for both the ERS and ENVISAT missions. We are delighted to further strengthen this relationship and continue to provide our services to support the satellites on behalf of the European Space Agency.”

The contract also includes Infoterra taking responsibility for the download and processing of images from the upcoming Swarm mission. The Swarm mission will survey the Earth’s geomagnetic field, extending our knowledge of both the Earth’s interior and its effects on our climate.

Infoterra will support the first phase of the Swarm mission, which will include the installation, integration, validation and testing of the ground based infrastructure. The second phase will see Infoterra take responsibility for the archiving, processing, reprocessing and dissemination of the Swarm datasets to the EO community.

Taking full advantage of the resources and skills offered by Spot Image and Infoterra, the Geo-information division of Astrium Services has become a recognised world leader in the geo-information market by offering decision-makers sustainable solutions to increase security, protect the environment and better manage natural resources. It has exclusive access to Spot and TerraSAR-X satellite data, while also calling on a full gamut of space data sources and airborne acquisition capabilities, enabling it to offer an unrivalled combination of Earth observation products and services. Its portfolio spans the entire geo-information value chain.

By building on the synergy of Astrium Services, the Geo-information division can also develop innovative solutions combining Earth observation, navigation and communication applications at competitive prices.

About Astrium
Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2009, Astrium had a turnover of €4.8 billion and more than 15,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment and Astrium Services for the development and provision of secure and commercial satcoms and networks, high security satellite communications equipment, geo-information products and services, and navigation services.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2009, EADS generated revenues of €42.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 119, 000.