GIS / Earth Observation / Satellite Imagery / Geo-Information / GMES / RapidEye / ESA / Emergency

Brandenburg / Havel, Germany, September 16, 2010 – RapidEye, the only geospatial solutions provider to own and operate a constellation of five identical Earth Observation satellites, announced today that it has successfully passed the Operational Readiness Review (ORR) for the European Space Agency (ESA). Integration software will now allow ESA and its user community efficient access to RapidEye's five meter pixel sized, multi-spectral data through an interface allowing semi-automated product and metadata exchange between RapidEye's ground segment and ESA's Coordinated Data Access System (CDS).

ESA will be using RapidEye's satellite imagery mainly for the project 'Safer', a security and emergency project of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program in Europe. GMES is a European program for implementing a European capacity for Earth Observation, with an objective to monitor and better understand the environment. By contributing to the success of the 'Safer' project, RapidEye will support ESA in reinforcing the European capacity to better respond to emergency situations deriving from storms fires, floods, earthquakes or landslides.

The contract between RapidEye and ESA details that RapidEye will provide satellite imagery before and after an emergency event has occurred, provide 'emergency' service and rapid delivery upon request as well as delivering its imagery for non-emergency scenarios as necessary. With its constellation of five satellites, the RapidEye system has the capability to revisit an area daily, which accommodates frequent monitoring intervals and can provide the most up-to-date information on environmental changes. RapidEye signed the contract with ESA in late 2009, and has most recently supplied imagery of the flooded areas in Pakistan and Germany, as well as the recent area damaged by forest fires in southern France.


About RapidEye AG

RapidEye is an ISO-certified geospatial information provider focused on integrating customized and industry specific solutions into the workflow of global customers in agriculture, forestry, energy, infrastructure, government, security and emergency. RapidEye experts and the technical system – a constellation of five satellites capable of downloading over 4 million km² of high resolution, multi-spectral imagery per day, and a ground segment for processing and archiving data – allow for cost-effective customized services. The unique combination of large area coverage, high spatial resolution and the possibility of daily revisit to an area provide for superior management information solutions. Currently, more than 130 experts from more than 20 countries are employed by RapidEye, with plans to grow the team to about 140 in 2010.

RapidEye benefits from a public-private partnership with the Space Agency of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). RapidEye has also received funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), thefederal republic of Germany and the State of Brandenburg in Germany. For more information on ERDF please contact Email Contact.

For more information about RapidEye, please visit www.rapideye.de.

Contact:

RapidEye AG
Molkenmarkt 30
14776 Brandenburg a. d. Havel, Germany
Email Contact