Italian Space Agency Entrusts Thales for Role in NASA's Earth Observation Mission
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Loading... - Daan Dekker
- 19 Feb 2025
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The Italian Space Agency (ASI) has awarded a significant contract to Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), to play a crucial role in NASA's Surface Biology and Geology - Thermal Infrared (SBG-TIR) Earth Observation mission. This agreement follows a collaboration pact established in 2023 between ASI and NASA, highlighting a commitment to international cooperation in addressing global challenges through advanced space technologies.
The SBG-TIR mission aims to gather radiometric and multispectral measurements of emissions from land and water. The data collected will support climate, ecological, and geological analyses, as well as applications in food security and water management. The mission will utilize NASA's thermal infrared (TIR) radiometer in conjunction with ASI's VIS-NIR camera to deliver high-resolution observations of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, the instruments will monitor critical phenomena such as wildfires, volcanic activity, and water resource dynamics.
Thales Alenia Space will leverage its expertise in Earth Observation missions to manage the integration of the SBG-TIR satellite. This includes adapting its PRIMA-S platform to accommodate a TIR spectrometer and conducting rigorous testing to ensure mission success. The PRIMA-S platform, a derivative of the HE-R1000 solution, is part of Thales Alenia Space's Earth observation portfolio, which encompasses both radar and optical satellites.
The satellite will also feature the VIREO instrument, developed by Leonardo in collaboration with ASI. VIREO will capture contextual images across visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectra, enhancing the mission's data-gathering capabilities.
Teodoro Valente, President of the Italian Space Agency, remarked, "The signing of this contract represents a very important milestone in bilateral cooperation with NASA and demonstrates our shared commitment to Earth observation and to the development of space technologies addressing global challenges related to climate change and environmental monitoring. By integrating the capabilities of our COSMO-SkyMed and PRISMA satellites with new thermal infrared observations, we will be able to provide a clearer and more detailed picture of the state of our planet, contributing to building a better future for generations to come."
Giampiero Di Paolo, Deputy CEO and Senior Vice President for Observation, Exploration, and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the mission, stating, "We are very proud to have signed this contract and our gratitude goes to the Italian Space Agency for giving us the opportunity to play a central role in this mission in collaboration with NASA and NASA's JPL. This cooperation represents a substantial advantage for Italy to enrich its capabilities and competences in Earth observation, benefiting the scientific community and the development of practical applications, thus contributing to better management of environmental resources and understanding of global phenomena."
ASI and NASA will jointly oversee the mission's system management, payload integration, and launch operations. NASA will also manage the integration of the TIR instrument, which includes the OTTER sensor provided by NASA and the Italian VIREO sensor developed by Leonardo.
The collaboration between the Italian Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space for NASA's SBG-TIR mission underscores the importance of international partnerships in advancing Earth observation technologies. By combining their expertise and resources, these organizations aim to enhance our understanding of the planet and address pressing environmental challenges.
