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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Five UK satellites go into orbit on Indian rocket | Five UK satellites go into orbit on Indian rocket |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| An Indian rocket has put five UK satellites in orbit. | An Indian rocket has put five UK satellites in orbit. |
| It is thought to be the largest number of wholly British-built spacecraft to go up on a single launch. | It is thought to be the largest number of wholly British-built spacecraft to go up on a single launch. |
| The quintet includes three satellites to image the Earth and support disaster monitoring and relief, and two to test technologies that could be used on future spacecraft. | The quintet includes three satellites to image the Earth and support disaster monitoring and relief, and two to test technologies that could be used on future spacecraft. |
| The Indian space agency's PSLV rocket lifted off from Sriharikota at 21:58 local time (17:28 BST). | The Indian space agency's PSLV rocket lifted off from Sriharikota at 21:58 local time (17:28 BST). |
| It was the vehicle's heaviest commercial load to date - a total of 1,440kg. | |
| The trio of imaging spacecraft - known as DMC-3 - were built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) in Guildford and will be in the sole operational control of its subsidiary, DMCii. | The trio of imaging spacecraft - known as DMC-3 - were built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) in Guildford and will be in the sole operational control of its subsidiary, DMCii. |
| Each platform weighs 447kg and sees the Earth in a range of visible and infrared wavelengths. | Each platform weighs 447kg and sees the Earth in a range of visible and infrared wavelengths. |
| The resolution achieved by the optics surpasses that on any of Surrey Satellite's previous spacecraft, tracking features down to just a metre across. | The resolution achieved by the optics surpasses that on any of Surrey Satellite's previous spacecraft, tracking features down to just a metre across. |
| The capacity on the DMC-3 satellites has been leased to a company from China - 21st Century Aerospace Technology Ltd (21AT) - to help them survey the fast-growing Asian nation. | The capacity on the DMC-3 satellites has been leased to a company from China - 21st Century Aerospace Technology Ltd (21AT) - to help them survey the fast-growing Asian nation. |
| This is a different business model to the one SSTL and DMCii have traditionally used. | This is a different business model to the one SSTL and DMCii have traditionally used. |
| In the past, imaging data has been sold by the square kilometre. Merely leasing spacecraft time is something that is done in the telecoms sector. | In the past, imaging data has been sold by the square kilometre. Merely leasing spacecraft time is something that is done in the telecoms sector. |
| "Most folk don't buy a whole telecommunications satellite; they buy transponder time by the hour," explained SSTL chairman Sir Martin Sweeting. | "Most folk don't buy a whole telecommunications satellite; they buy transponder time by the hour," explained SSTL chairman Sir Martin Sweeting. |
| "That's what the BBC does, for example, for some of their live broadcasts: they just use the telecoms satellite for a couple of hours and then walk away. | "That's what the BBC does, for example, for some of their live broadcasts: they just use the telecoms satellite for a couple of hours and then walk away. |
| "And we thought: why don't we apply that to Earth observation. | "And we thought: why don't we apply that to Earth observation. |
| "We will launch the satellites and run the service, and then customers can come in, lease the imaging capacity and do all the value-added they want on top of that." | "We will launch the satellites and run the service, and then customers can come in, lease the imaging capacity and do all the value-added they want on top of that." |
| It turns out, however, that 21AT has such a high demand for pictures over China and internationally that it is taking all of the capacity on the three spacecraft. A commitment that is good for the next seven years. | It turns out, however, that 21AT has such a high demand for pictures over China and internationally that it is taking all of the capacity on the three spacecraft. A commitment that is good for the next seven years. |
| Based in Beijing, the commercial geo-information company uses satellite images for urban planning, working out crop yields, pollution monitoring and doing biodiversity assessments, among many other applications. | Based in Beijing, the commercial geo-information company uses satellite images for urban planning, working out crop yields, pollution monitoring and doing biodiversity assessments, among many other applications. |
| "We've worked with them for 16 years, even building and launching a satellite for them in 2005 called Beijing-1," said Sir Martin. | "We've worked with them for 16 years, even building and launching a satellite for them in 2005 called Beijing-1," said Sir Martin. |
| That satellite did infrastructure planning ahead of the 2008 Olympics, but also delivered vital disaster-relief maps in the aftermath of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in the same year. | That satellite did infrastructure planning ahead of the 2008 Olympics, but also delivered vital disaster-relief maps in the aftermath of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in the same year. |
| "You can do all sorts of things with these satellites," Sir Martin added. | "You can do all sorts of things with these satellites," Sir Martin added. |
| "21AT has just been looking at where people have been dumping rubbish in China's cities to make sure it is cleaned up." | "21AT has just been looking at where people have been dumping rubbish in China's cities to make sure it is cleaned up." |
| The British government was instrumental in facilitating the £110m deal that led to the construction of the satellites. That contract was signed during the Chinese premier's visit to the UK in 2011. | The British government was instrumental in facilitating the £110m deal that led to the construction of the satellites. That contract was signed during the Chinese premier's visit to the UK in 2011. |
| The two other spacecraft on Friday's rocket were much smaller. | The two other spacecraft on Friday's rocket were much smaller. |
| An 80kg platform known as CBNT-1 was also built by SSTL and will test technologies, such as avionics, that might be used on future satellites. | An 80kg platform known as CBNT-1 was also built by SSTL and will test technologies, such as avionics, that might be used on future satellites. |
| There was also a 3kg cubesat on the rocket that was developed at the Surrey Space Centre, which is part of the University of Surrey. | There was also a 3kg cubesat on the rocket that was developed at the Surrey Space Centre, which is part of the University of Surrey. |
| This cubesat will deploy a large membrane to demonstrate how redundant spacecraft can be dragged out of orbit much faster than would ordinarily be the case and thus reduce the risk of generating space debris. | This cubesat will deploy a large membrane to demonstrate how redundant spacecraft can be dragged out of orbit much faster than would ordinarily be the case and thus reduce the risk of generating space debris. |
| Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos |