GERMAN FIRM INFOTERRA EYEING NEXT SAR-LUPE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 001575 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/CE, EUR/ERA AND OES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPA EINV ETRD PGOV PREL PINR GM SUBJECT: GERMAN FIRM INFOTERRA EYEING NEXT SAR-LUPE CONTRACT AND FUTURE USG CUSTOMERS ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Infoterra, a subsidiary of EADS-Astrium, believes that their next generation digital synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology provides them with a competitive edge in securing the SAR-Lupe follow-on contract with the German MOD and are actively pursuing entry into the USG defense intelligence market. In an October 31 meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Infoterra Managing Director, Joerg Herrmann delivered a tailored briefing to embassy staff with an underlying message of Infoterra's value to U.S. customers and their desire to break into the USG market. During this brief, Herrmann touted his company's solid financial position, successful Public Private Partnership (PPP) missions with the German Space Agency (DLR),and their plans to for the next generation TerraSAR-X2 (TSX-2) - scheduled for deployment in 2013. Herrmann commented at the end of his briefing that the USG is a high priority customer and that although selling data is Infoterra's preference, they would be willing to sell to the USG a complete spacecraft capability, including ownership of the data. END SUMMARY SOLID FINANCIAL POSITION -> COMMERCIAL FLEXIBILITY -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Infoterra, created in 2001 to prepare and commercially exploit the TerraSAR-X (TSX-1) mission under a PPP financial structure, finds itself in a strengthened financial position without the need for government funding for future commercial satellite projects. Herrmann stated that for the first time in Infoterra's seven-year history, Infoterra will turn a modest profit in 2008. According to Herrmann, Infoterra's improved financial resources give them greater control of their data products and satellite tasking. (Comment: Under the PPP agreement with DLR, DLR had rights to 50 percent of all TSX-1 data leaving the other 50 percent available for Infoterra commercial exploitation. End Comment) INFOTERRA OPTIMISTIC ON THE NEXT SAR-LUPE CONTRACT -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Herrmann was adamant that his company will submit the superior proposal for the SAR-Lupe follow-on contract and said "Infoterra will not lose out to OHB again." (Comment: OHB-System AG is located in Northern Germany and has successfully deployed and operated Germany's first satellite-based radar reconnaissance system. End Comment) Infoterra is likely in the advanced stages of its advanced TSX-2 design and Hermann expressed confidence that OHB does not possess comparable technology. The current SAR-Lupe system (contract awarded to OHB in August 2005 and first satellite launched in December 2006) has a life expectancy of 10 years. This implies that the follow-on system will likely need to be deployed by 2017 with the contract awarded in the 2013-2015 timeframe. DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS: RESOLUTION, COVERAGE, AND THROUGHPUT -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The next generation TSX-2 will aim for better imaging resolution, increased coverage area, and larger data throughput volumes. Current TSX-1 performance parameters are given below: RESOLUTION COVERAGE AREA -------------- -------------- -- spotlight mode: 1 m 5 km x 10 km scene -- stripmap mode: 3 m 30 km swath width -- scanSAR mode: 16 m 100 km swath width Herrmann expressed confidence that Infoterra's next SAR generation will achieve resolutions on the order of 0.5 m in spotlight mode and 1 m with a 70 km scene width in stripmap mode, the workhorse mode. Herrmann projects that this technology will be deployable by 2013. ¶5. (SBU) In a meeting at DLR on October 27, DLR TSX-1 Project Manager, Rolf Werninghaus, discussed DLR efforts to develop a High Resolution Wide Swath (HRWS) imaging capabilities using digital "beamforming" techniques. Werninghaus stated the desired goal is to collect 1-meter resolution radar imagery over an area of approximately 100 km (equivalent to the TSX-1 scanSAR mode). This ambitious plan is being closely coordinated with Infoterra and could possibly be implemented with Infoterra's next generation SAR satellites. ¶6. (U) The penalty for imaging larger areas with greater resolution is the need for increased data transmission bandwidth to the ground station. DLR's innovative approach BERLIN 00001575 002 OF 002 to this problem is to create a space-based optical Laser Communication Technology (LCT) data network (Germany awarded the first LCD contracts to Tesat-Spacecom GmbH at the end of the 1990s). Infoterra's TSX-1 bus is equipped with a experimental LCT payload intended to demonstrate high bandwidth satellite-to-satellite optical communications. In February 2008, the LCT aboard TSX-1 and NFIRE (a U.S. experimental satellite) successfully exchanged data covering a distance of more than 5000 km without any errors, at a bandwidth of 5.5 Gbit/s (a data equivalence to roughly 400 DVDs per hour). The next step will be to relay TSX-1 data via LCT from a geosynchronous relay (GEO-Relay) satellite to a ground station. The first GEO-relay satellite is scheduled to launch in 2012. DIGITAL ELEVATION MEASUREMENTS - UNPRECEDENTED ACCURACY -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) - Between September and December of 2009, Infoterra in a PPP cooperation with DLR will launch TanDEM-X, a nearly identical twin of TSX-1 with a three-year interferrometry mission to acquire high quality Digital Elevation Models (DEM) of the entire Earth. TanDEM-X will operate in conjunction with TSX-1 to form a tandem constellation, separated by only 200 m. DLR's stated goal with this program is to acquire HRTI-3 level data with the following parameters: Spatial Resolution: 12 m X 12 m Absolute Horizontal Accuracy: < 10 m Absolute Vertical Accuracy: < 5 m Relative Vertical Accuracy: < 0.8 m This accuracy, if achievable, would likely represent the highest fidelity global DEM data available and would likely be of interest to U.S. defense customers. INFOTERRA SEES OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING WITH USG CUSTOMERS -------------- -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Thus far, foreign satellite data providers have been unable to break into the U.S. defense market, but an unclassified July 2008 USAF Space Radar Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM) calling for potential use of international entities to fill future Warfighter needs may change this. Specifically, the July ADM calls for action to "Quantify the performance, capability, and utility of the near-term available sources of radar data from commercial and international space systems." In response to this, Herrmann commented that Infoterra is prepared to sell data directly to the USG to fill this need and would even be prepared to offer a complete spacecraft capability, including ownership of the data. It is believed that Infoterra has already submitted a proposal in response to this ADM. GERMANY TO HOST SEMINAR IN WDC ON GERMAN DATA SECURITY LAW -------------- -------------- ¶9. (SBU) On November 24 at the German Embassy in Washington DC, the German government, in coordination with DLR, Infoterra GmbH, and RapidEye AG will host a seminar to discuss scientific, operational, and legal aspects of Germany's Act on Satellite Data Security law. Clearly, the implications at this seminar will be centered on future USG procurement of German sources space-based imagery and the role German export control restrictions will play. COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Infoterra is clearly advancing its SAR technology at a rapid pace and their technical cooperation with DLR has certainty paid dividends fostering this advancement. As Infoterra's economic position improves, so does its ability to embark on projects independently without obligations to the German government. Given the U.S. need for alternative sources for space-based radar data detailed in the USAF Space Radar ADM and Infoterra's emergence as a world leader in SAR technology, Infoterra believes it is well-positioned to break into the U.S. defense market. TIMKEN JR