by Theo Pirard
German BWB (Bundesamt f¿r Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung/Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement) selected as posible prime contractor for the SAR-Lupe system of X-band radar satellites for all-weather security and defence observations OHB-System (Orbitale Hochtechnologie Bremen).
It was announced that BWB was negotiating with the industrial team of OHB-System about the overall-responsibility of the German national reconnaissance satellite system SAR-Lupe. The contract, once finalized at the estimated price of 250 million euro, has to be approved by the Bundestag, the German Parliament.
The OHB-System team, that competed with the Astrium team, consists of OHB Teledata, Alcatel Space, Bosch Satcom (now Astrium), SAAB-Ericsson, EADS (Dornier Satellitensystemen), RST and European subcontractors.
The SAR-Lupe system comprises a constellation of up to five small satellite of some 700-kg mass each, in 500-km circular orbit; together with the associated ground segment of control center and of data receiving and image processing stations.
Working day and night, independently from weather conditions, it will deliver up-to-date and highly detailed images from all regions of the world. All satellites will be launched with a Rockot or Dnepr rocket from Baikonur (Kazakhstan).
The first satellite will be launched in late 2004. The system will be fully deployed in 2006. It is described as "one of the most important security instruments for Germany as well as for Europe because through this system Germany joins the European countries with satellite reconnaissance.
The German SAR-Lupe will use SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) in X-band frequencies, like the Italian Skymed-Cosmo constellation of four identical satellites. The Italian constellation will be developed in parallel with the Argentinian Saocom satellites employing L-band SAR equipment, for combined dual-use operations in the SIASGE venture.
