Airbus Defence and Space Finishes PeruSAT 1

PerùSAT 1 at Airbus Defence and Space’s cleanroom in Toulouse, France. Photo: Airbus

[Via Satellite 06-06-2016] Airbus Defence and Space has completed integration of Peru’s first Earth observation satellite, PeruSAT 1. The manufacturer finished the satellite for CONIDA, the country’s national space agency, in less than 24 months.

PeruSAT 1 is based on the compact AstroBus-S platform, and will observe Earth using a silicon carbide optical instrument system at 70 cm resolution. Assembly Integration and Test (AIT) of the instrument took about eight months, with the platform construction phase, satellite construction, and technical and operational system validation needing only five months each, respectively.

According to Airbus Defence and Space, the quick build time was made possible by the creation of the “Projects Factory,” a new and more integrated working organization in the company’s space system business unit. This new way of working reduces development and construction lead times for satellites up to 500 kg and optimizes their costs and schedule delivery, without reducing quality.