Alcatel Space Delivers Helios II Instrument

PARIS, Dec. 18 -- Alcatel Space announced it has delivered the first flight model of a high-resolution imaging instrument for integration on the Helios IIA satellite to Astrium, the prime contractor for Helios IIA and IIB, part of the Helios II defense program.

This very high-resolution imaging instrument will be used for the Earth observation mission of Helios II. Helios IIA and IIB, which are being built in Toulouse, France, are slated for launch in late 2004.

French arms procurement agency DGA was designated by the French, Belgian and Spanish defense ministries to conduct Helios II, while French space agency CNES is the system's prime contractor. Astrium is prime contractor for the two satellites.

As the lead supplier, Alcatel Space will deliver the key high-resolution instrument and other system components. The company supplied two imaging systems currently in orbit on the Helios 1A and Helios 1B satellites. This second-generation high-resolution instrument offers significantly higher performance than its predecessor, Alcatel Space said, including enhanced image quality, especially through the very high-resolution version, and an infrared channel for full day/night detection capability.

For more information, visit: www.alcatel.com/space