[SatNews]  BlackBridge has entered into a sole distribution agreement with EarthSTAR Inc. to provide RapidEye imagery and solutions to the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

EarthSTAR Inc., a subsidiary of EarthView Image Inc. based in Beijing, is expanding the market in China for Earth Observation (EO) satellite technologies. EarthSTAR dedicates itself to the research and development of advanced technologies in order to provide high-end professional information products and application services to users, with a particular focus on government agencies.

Philippe Campenon, BlackBridge's vice president of sales, said, “EarthSTAR Inc. and BlackBridge share the view that BlackBridge solutions must be customized to the specific needs of the Chinese market. EarthSTAR Inc. teams are perfectly skilled to play such a key role in this adaptation, thanks to their understanding of the market and their proximity to their customers. This association will bring great value to the end-users.”

EarthSTAR Inc. founder and president, Wu Qiuhua, emphasized the value of high-quality RapidEye satellite data as part of the company’s portfolio. “RapidEye imagery will be a foundational information source for the development of our application products and services. In particular, the RapidEye system is well known for vegetation analysis through its spectral sensitivity and daily revisit capabilities. Based on these advantages, EarthStar will expand RapidEye imagery use throughout China in the fields of agriculture, mapping, and environmental monitoring.”