RSI NAMES ORBIMAGE PRINCIPAL U.S. DISTRIBUTOR OF RADARSAT-1 SATELLITE IMAGERY
ORBIMAGE to Add Imagery from Seventh Satellite to its Product Line; RSI Expands U.S. Distribution Capability
(Dulles, VA 23 September 1999) – Orbital Imaging Corporation (ORBIMAGE), an affiliate of Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), and RADARSAT International (RSI) today jointly announced that RSI has appointed ORBIMAGE as the principal distributor for the sale of RADARSAT-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery in the U.S. As the principal distributor in the U.S., ORBIMAGE will offer RADARSAT-1 imagery to other U.S. distributors and directly to customers through its Internet web site at http://www.orbimage.com/ . RSI, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based company, holds the worldwide distribution rights to RADARSAT-1 imagery. Other terms of the distribution arrangement were not disclosed.
The advent of radar imagery has opened a vast new array of applications around the world for satellite-collected images of the Earth. Commercial applications for the $2 billion per year remote sensing market include general mapping, oil exploration, agricultural crop yield estimation, disaster response and national security.
The RADARSAT-1 distribution agreement adds a seventh satellite to ORBIMAGE’s growing list of sources for satellite-collected Earth imagery. In addition to its own constellation of four imaging satellites, OrbView-1, -2, -3 and -4, ORBIMAGE now holds the principal U.S. distribution rights for RADARSAT-1 and the exclusive worldwide distribution rights for RADARSAT–2, as well as being a distributor for imagery delivered by the Russian SPIN-2 satellite. ORBIMAGE also recently announced a major reciprocal imagery distribution agreement with SPOT IMAGE S.A. of France.
Mr. Gilbert D. Rye, ORBIMAGE President, stated, “This agreement strengthens the existing strategic relationship between RSI and ORBIMAGE, who are already partners in the RADARSAT-2 program. The addition of data from a second commercial radar satellite extends ORBIMAGE’s product portfolio and complements the optical imaging products we already sell. By becoming the principal distributor of RADARSAT-1 imagery in the U.S., we have taken one more step in our efforts to make digital geographic data accessible to end users in a variety of markets.”
RSI President Mr. Roland Knight stated, “We are excited by the prospect of increasing our reach into the U.S. market. In its new role as our principal U.S. distributor, ORBIMAGE opens up several new marketing channels, and also expands our ability to support our existing U.S. distributors.”
As the world’s first radar imaging satellite dedicated full-time to operations, RADARSAT-1 is equipped with an advanced SAR instrument that gives the imaging system unique capabilities, including eight-meter resolution and near-real time delivery. Imaging with a SAR instrument enables the satellite to perform its mission during the day or at night, and under all weather conditions.
About RADARSAT International
Established in 1989, RADARSAT International is a wholly owned subsidiary of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., a subsidiary of Orbital, and has its headquarters in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. RSI is a world leader in providing satellite imagery and derived products, services and training for decision making on global issues ranging from agriculture and ice reconnaissance to coastline mapping and disaster management. It is the worldwide, exclusive distributor of RADARSAT-1 satellite imagery, and, under subcontract from ORBIMAGE, will be operating the RADARSAT-2 satellite, as well as processing and distributing the imagery to the world. Other products currently offered by RSI include data from the IRS, ERS, SPOT and LANDSAT satellites.
About ORBIMAGE
ORBIMAGE is a leading global provider of satellite-delivered Earth imagery services with a planned constellation of five digital remote sensing satellites. It currently operates the OrbView-1 atmospheric imaging satellite (launched in 1995), the OrbView-2 ocean and land multispectral imaging satellite (launched in 1997), and an integrated image receiving, processing and distribution system with over 200 current and planned regional ground stations around the world. OrbView-3, the first of two digital, high-resolution (one-meter panchromatic and four-meter multispectral) optical imaging satellites, will be launched in mid-2000, followed by the launch of OrbView-4, which will include a hyperspectral imagery capability, in late 2000. In addition, ORBIMAGE is a non-exclusive distributor of imagery from Russia’s SPIN-2 satellite and Canada’s RADARSAT-1 satellite, and also holds the exclusive worldwide distribution rights for imagery from Canada’s RADARSAT-2 satellite. Finally, ORBIMAGE recently announced a major reciprocal imagery distribution agreement with SPOT IMAGE S.A. of France.
Contact: Barron Beneski, 7034065000, beneski.barron@orbital.com
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