By 2013, Spain will have the ability to detect the position of any ship in the world from space, safeguarding crews from pirate hijackings through an automatic identification system. This capability will be possible with the Paz satellite.

ASTRIUM

By 2013, Spain will have the ability to detect the position of any ship in the world from space, safeguarding crews from pirate hijackings through an automatic identification system. This capability will be possible with the Paz satellite.

The satellite enables vigilance over international borders, tactical support in foreign missions, natural disaster assessments and environmental surveillance.

The radar technology installed on the satellite can take up to 100 images of the Earth’s surface per day at a resolution of nearly 1 meter.

With this technology, Spain will become the first European country to have a dual Earth observation system with radar and optical capabilities for both civilian and military use.

Sources: UPI, El País, www.astrium.eads.net