IOSAT's Sentry Acquires Images
from Space-Based Radar
InNOVAcorp--IOSAT's Sentry Acquires Images from Space-Based Radar
IOSAT Inc. today announced the successful acquisition of its first satellite image, a radar scene over Newfoundland's west coast.
The Sentry system, IOSAT's multi-satellite receiving and processing station, acquired and processed data directly from RADARSAT --Canada's first Earth Observation satellite.
The Sentry is a tactical ground station that uses Earth Observation satellites to monitor vessels, oil slicks, border activities and terrestrial developments. The main advantage of the station is its ability to provide rapid assessment of satellite data for users requiring real-time access to the information.
Organizations that will benefit from this capability include defence, surveillance, resource monitoring, research, and disaster relief agencies.
"We are extremely pleased with the accomplishments of our engineering team," said Dr. Marlon Lewis, president of IOSAT. "They have done an outstanding job in providing a cost-effective ground station, while retaining superior performance and full transportability.
"In some areas, we've set new standards for capability and performance. For example, we have demonstrated that we are able to acquire the data, process it into images, and extract the key information for the field user in minutes after the satellite has passed overhead. This previously used to take days or weeks."
The Canadian Space Agency has scheduled a six-month deployment of the Sentry, in support of government and commercial maritime surveillance interests. This resulted from IOSAT winning a competitive procurement under the RADARSAT User Development Program, a program designed to develop commercial products and services using RADARSAT data.
IOSAT is a world leader in the development and manufacture of real-time satellite surveillance systems for both defence and civilian applications. Shareholders are Satlantic Inc. of Halifax, SSiG Group Inc. of Montreal, and Matra Systemes and Information of Velizy, France.
Additional support for Sentry's development was obtained from InNOVAcorp, the Province of Nova Scotia, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Digital images available upon request.