Sofradir, Airbus Sensors Deployed for ESA Mission

Sofradir SAS has delivered 24 shortwave-infrared (SWIR) detectors to Airbus Defence and Space GmbH of Munich for the European Space Agency’s Sentinel missions.

Twelve of the Sofradir devices are currently on board the Sentinel-2A satellite, with the remaining 12 set to launch in 2016 on the Sentinel-2B. The Sentinel-2 mission is a polar-orbiting, high-resolution imaging project that uses satellites to monitor land for the European Union's Copernicus environmental monitoring system. Vegetation, soil and water cover, inland waterways, and coastal areas will be examined. The mission will also deliver information for emergency services and food security.

Meanwhile, Airbus has provided two multispectral imager instruments for Sentinel-2, offering high-resolution IR optical imagery. The devices will provide imaging of the Earth for Landsat missions and the SPOT observation satellite. They will also measure the Earth's reflected radiance in 13 spectral bands from the visible (440 nm) to SWIR (2190 nm).