Page 42 - hisdeSAT Annual Report 2017

3.4. DEVELOPMENT OF THE

EARTH OBSERVATION

PROGRAMME

A fter being in storage for more
than three years because of the
delays suffered with its launch, the
PAZ satellite programme was fina-
lly reactivated in 2017. To this end a
specific test and verification plan was
devised to ensure PAZ’s
clean bill of health, as
agreed to with Space X,
the provider of the launch
service.

During the initial months
The internationalisation all the mechanisms of the
of the PAZ mission has satellite were checked, of December. This window was postpo-
this year led along with its deployment ned due to the delay in the manufactu-
re of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, and
systems, and a set of func-
to the signing of a tional tests were run that the launch was slated for early 2018.
contract linking diagnosed the proper Under these circumstances more ex-
functioning of all the sys-
the satellite to the tems. In the first half of the haustive tests of the state of the sa-
ambitious European year the window for the tellite were carried out, and Hisdesat
also ran verification tests of the sys-
Copernicus Earth launching of the satellite tem, including the PAZ Control Centre
was also defined: the pe-
Observation Project riod from the 1 to the 31 st and the system that the Ministry of De-
st
fence will use at the CESAEROB’s facili-
ties for capitalization on PAZ’s images,
© HISDESAT with very satisfactory results.

This year Hisdesat significantly increa-
sed its staff, adding qualified engineers

42
HISDE S AT ANNU AL REPOR T 2 017