BackForward Satellite Programme: Vegetation and Environment monitoring on a New Micro-Satellite 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Single-satellite experimental programme, for land observation.
  • Joint French-Israelian programme: CNES responsible of development and operation of the instrument, ISA of platform, launcher and system operations.
  • The platform is actively stabilised over 3 axes.
  • The design life time is 5 years.
  • The satellite exploits a 720-km orbit for 2.5 years for the scientific mission, followed by 6 months of orbit transfer to test a technological mission (on propulsion); and 1-year of scientific + technological mission at 410-km.
  • See detailed description at http://smsc.cnes.fr/VENUS.
Data circulation
  • Data are stored onboard and downlinked to the Kiruna station.
  • Processing is performed at the CNES Scientific Mission Image Ground Segment (SMIGS), in Toulouse.
  • Data of the technological mission are analysed in Israel.
Agencies CNES , ISA
Programme lifetime 2017 - 2024
Associated satellites and instruments

Note: red tag => no longer operational , green tag => operational , blue tag => planned

  • Vegetation and Environment monitoring on a New Micro-Satellite