Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Sunnyvale, Calif., has contracted with ITT Geospatial Systems to provide the optical payload for the GeoEye-2 imaging satellite, the companies announced Aug. 31.
Satellite operator GeoEye of Dulles, Va., in March selected Lockheed Martin to build its next-generation GeoEye-2 satellite. GeoEye had already contracted with Rochester, N.Y.-based ITT and spent at least $104 million on long-lead parts associated with the GeoEye-2 payload.
GeoEye-2 is expected to cost between $750 million and $800 million, $337 million of which will be paid for by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) under a program called EnhancedView. The satellite will have 1.1-meter aperture identical to that of the GeoEye-1 satellite launched in 2008, but it will have better pointing agility and faster pointing time. The satellite is expected to launch in 2013.
