Denel Spaceteq, a South African satellite systems provider, has awarded a contract to Teledyne Dalsa Inc. to develop a multispectral image sensor for an Earth observation platform to be launched in 2019. The multimillion-dollar development project will return high-resolution images and data for applications in agriculture, crop and forestry management, urban planning, and environment and disaster monitoring. It will support the African Resource Management Constellation forged between Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. A multispectral image sensor like this one will be included on Denel Spaceteq's next Earth observation satellite. Courtesy of Teledyne Dalsa. "Earth observation satellites are built by firstly choosing the sensor, then the optics and then building the rest around that," said Patrick Ndhlovu, general manager of Spaceteq. "With their deep understanding of multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, and the challenges associated with these harsh environments, Teledyne Dalsa is an obvious choice as our partner for this critical aspect of our product." A single device can contain multiple imaging areas tailored to different multispectral bands in a cost-effective and reliable package, Teledyne Dalsa said. Advanced dichroic filters can be placed directly in the imaging area to deliver highly efficient multispectral sensors at various resolutions. "We are fully confident that our experience with designs optimized for radiation hardness and extreme environments will give Spaceteq and its customer a competitive advantage in today's earth-observation market by providing unprecedented high-resolution images at very small ground resolutions," said Jean Pierre Luevano, international sales manager at Teledyne Dalsa. Denel Spaceteq provides small- and medium-sized satellites and related systems to the South African, African and international aerospace market. Teledyne Dalsa is a manufacturer of digital imaging and machine vision CCD and CMOS products.