Arianespace has announced that they have received a contract for the launch of the Theos 2 satellite, a high resolution Earth observation satellite being built for the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand (GISTDA) by Airbus Defence and Space using its Astrobus-S platform. The 450kg spacecraft, which has a 10-year minimum design life, will be launched into a 620km Sun-synchronous orbit from Kourou, French Guiana in 2021 by a Vega or Vega-C rocket.
Artist’s impression of Vega-C in flight. Courtesy: ESA