[SatNews] The building of the imaging system for a nexgen EO satellite continues at ITT.

ITT Corporation (NYSE:ITT) has just received a contract from Lockheed Martin Space Systems, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, to continue building the imaging system for GeoEye’s next-generation Earth-imaging satellite, GeoEye-2. The GeoEye-2 imaging system consists of the camera and sensor subsystem, optical telescope unit and outer barrel assembly. ITT has been working on long-lead items for GeoEye-2 since October 2007, under a separate contract directly with GeoEye. GeoEye-2 will be ready for launch in late 2012 and operational in early 2013. Current plans call for the 4,600-pound satellite to be flown at an altitude of 652 kilometers which will yield a resulting ground resolution of 0.33 meters (13 inches). When operational, the satellite will provide the world's highest resolution and most accurate color imagery to government and commercial customers. ITT played a significant role building the imaging systems and sensors for the Lockheed Martin-built IKONOS spacecraft, the world's first commercial high-resolution satellite launched in 1999 and still operating today.