Ball Aerospace completes successful environmental testing for WorldView-2 satellite

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has successfully completed environmental testing for the WorldView-2 remote sensing satellite built for DigitalGlobe and has begun post-environmental performance testing. WorldView-2 is the third satellite Ball Aerospace has built for DigitalGlobe’s constellation of commercial remote sensing satellites. The satellite is scheduled to launch October 6, 2009, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

WorldView-2 environmental testing included thermal vacuum, electromagnetic compatibility, electromagnetic interference, vibration, shock and acoustic testing to confirm the design integrity of the spacecraft.

“Completion of testing continues Ball’s successful track record in the production of DigitialGlobe’s sophisticated imaging satellites,” said Cary Ludtke, vice president and general manager for Ball Aerospace’s civil and operational space unit. “We are eager to get the second WorldView satellite on orbit to demonstrate the combined capabilities of the two spacecraft, particularly the control moment gyroscope agility, not available on any other commercial imaging system.”

The Ball Aerospace BCP 5000 spacecraft, utilized for both WorldView-1 and Worldview-2, is designed to handle both next-generation optical and synthetic aperture radar remote sensing payloads and is currently meeting or exceeding all performance specifications on the operational WorldView-1 satellite. The high-performance BCP 5000 has a design life of more than seven years.

QuickBird, the first satellite in the DigitalGlobe constellation and currently on orbit with WorldView-1, was also built by Ball Aerospace.