BackForward Satellite Programme: Beijing-2 Constellation 

Programme details
Programme description
  • Constellation of three satellites, for land observation.  Satellite named DMC-3 A, B and C.
  • UK-China cooperative programme developed and operated by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), Surrey, UK, selling full data capacity to the Chinese Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Company Ltd. (21AT), in Beijing (hence the name of the constellation).
  • The platforms are actively stabilised over 3 axes.
  • The design life time is 7 years.
  • The satellites exploit sunsynchronous orbits around 10:30, consistent with the Disaster Monitoring Constellation.
  • The replacement policy is based on the system redundancy implied by the constellation.
  • See detailed description at https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/d/dmc-3.
Data circulation
  • Data stored onboard and transmitted to a network of ground stations organised in the framework of the DMC arrangement.
  • Data circulating within the Disaster Monitoring Constellation consortium in free and fast fashion.  Open access granted.
Agencies SSTL , UKSA, 21AT
Programme lifetime 2015 - 2025
Associated satellites and instruments

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