MONTREAL — With the long-awaited launch of Canada’s next generation of Earth-observation satellites scheduled for next week, authorities at the Canadian Space Agency are excited about what the RADARSAT Constellation will soon able to provide for Canadians. Once operational later this year, the evenly spaced satellites will orbit Earth every 96 minutes at an altitude of about 600 kilometres. They are expected to generate 250,000 images per year — 50 times more than the first generation RADARSAT satellite. MDA Inc. is the prime contractor for Constellation, constructing the satellites at its facilities on the western tip of the island of Montreal. The new satellites will be operated from a control centre at the Canadian Space Agency just south of Montreal, with a back-up control facility in Ottawa.

Source: National Post June 04, 2019 20:07 UTC