[09-21-07 – Satellite Today]  Boeing has been awarded a contract by Thales Alenia Space Italia to launch the third Cosmo-SkyMed satellite, Boeing announced Sept. 20.

The satellite will be lofted into orbit by a Delta 2 rocket in 2008. Boeing launched the first Cosmo-SkyMed satellite in June and is scheduled to place the second spacecraft in the series into orbit in December.
The series of four radar imagery satellites was developed through an agreement between the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defense for use by the military and civilian agencies as well as commercial entities.