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For its tenth launch of the year, and the 11th Vega mission since this launcher began its career at the Guiana Space Centre in 2012, Arianespace will orbit the MOHAMMED VI–A satellite.
This Earth observation satellite for the Kingdom of Morocco was developed by a consortium comprising Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime.
Flight VV11 marks the eighth Earth observation mission for Vega, a versatile light launcher.
The liftoff will be from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana (South America).
The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) will take place on Monday, November 6, 2017, in Kourou, to authorise the start of operations for the final countdown.
The MOHAMMED VI–A satellite is an Earth observation satellite built for the Kingdom of Morocco by Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime.
The MOHAMMED VI–A satellite will be in particular used for mapping and land surveying activities, regional development, agricultural monitoring, the prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification, as well as border and coastal surveillance.
Thales Alenia Space, as system prime contractor, supplied the payload, including the optical instrument, the image transmission subsystem, and the ground segment for image processing and production. Airbus, as satellite prime contractor, was in charge of its integration, as well as supplying the platform and the ground segment for mission planning and satellite control.
Original published at: https://spacewatch.global/2017/11/moroccos-earth-observation-satellite-set-launch-arianespace-vega-launcher/
