EROS B
The Earth Remote Observation System-B (EROS-B) is the second satellite launched in a series of the EROS family of Israeli commercial Earth observation satellites, designed and manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). It is owned and operated by ImageSat International N.V. (ISI), in the Netherlands Antilles, Cayman Islands, with offices in Limassol, Cyprus, and in Tel Aviv, Israel.
EROS-B satellite in deployed configuration | |
| Names | Earth Resources Observation Systems-B |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth observation |
| Operator | ImageSat International |
| COSPAR ID | 2006-014A |
| SATCAT no. | 29079 |
| Website | https://www.imagesatintl.com/ |
| Mission duration | 10 years (planned) 17 years, 9 months and 12 days (in progress) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | EROS-B |
| Spacecraft type | EROS-A |
| Bus | OPSAT-2000 |
| Manufacturer | Israel Aerospace Industries |
| Launch mass | 350 kg (770 lb) |
| Dimensions | 2.3 m in height 1.2 m in diameter Span: 4 m on orbit |
| Power | 800 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 25 April 2006, 16:47:16 UTC |
| Rocket | Start-1 |
| Launch site | Svobodny Cosmodrome, Launch Complex-5 |
| Contractor | Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 506 km (314 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 524 km (326 mi) |
| Inclination | 97.45° |
| Period | 94.79 minutes |
ImageSat International announced that it had begun construction of "EROS B", a day before the launch of "EROS A". According to the plan, the launch of the "EROS B" was to take place in 2001, after which another 6 satellites in the series were planned. In July 2000, the company announced the completion of a capital raising of more than $90 million. A year later, it signed a $70 million credit agreement with Bank Leumi to finance the further development of the satellite series, and announced that the launch of the second satellite had been postponed to 2003. On July 28, 2001, IAI officially signed an agreement with ImageSat International to build the $110 million EROS B satellite. However the project was delayed due to difficulties in signing enough commercial customers to meet the financial costs.