DMCii upgrades global imaging services

30 July 2009, 9:25am

DMC International Imaging Ltd (DMCii) announces the successful launch of next generation DMC imaging satellites UK-DMC2 and Deimos-1. The new satellites increase the DMC imaging capacity twenty-fold, enabling DMCii to image the whole world several times per year. A direct downlink reception service is also now available for customers with compatible ground stations.

DMCii provides a rapid response satellite imaging service from the coordinated constellation of DMC satellites many diverse applications, including precision agriculture, deforestation mapping and disaster response. The two new satellites launched into the DMC satellite constellation on 29th July 2009 will ensure data continuity for existing users and enhance DMCii's satellite-based imaging services. The service
will be further enhanced when two new satellites, NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X, are launched in 2010.

The upgraded DMC multispectral optical imagers used on the two new satellites acquire more detailed pictures using 20 metre pixels compared to the 32 metre pixel imagers currently in use. The unique 650km swath width is retained, providing contiguous images of large areas.

Advances in technology since the first generation satellites were launched in 2003 enable DMCii to acquire images with double the number of pixels per hectare, and with a greatly improved image quality for demanding end user applications. Improved optics and sensors provide significantly better Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) giving much
crisper images, with data depth improved from 8 to 10 bits enabling more detailed image analysis. The well established cross-calibration of the DMC constellation ensures that data is highly calibrated and the
differences between satellites are less than 0.5%, continuing the excellent daily remote sensing capability.

The two satellites, which launched together on a Dnepr launcher from Baikonur, were built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd for DMC
International Imaging Ltd., and Deimos Imaging in Spain.

About DMC International Imaging Ltd

DMC International Imaging Ltd (DMCii) is a UK based supplier of remote sensing data products and services for international Earth Observation (EO) markets. DMCii supplies programmed and archived optical satellite
imagery provided by the multi-satellite Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC). DMC data is now used in a wide variety of
commercial and government applications including agriculture, forestry and environmental mapping.

DMC International Imaging Ltd

Geo: International