RTX's new generation of commercial satellite imagers launches with Maxar's WorldView Legion

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May 03, 2024, 10:33 ET

Advanced imagers will provide high-resolution visual data in real time

ARLINGTON, Va., May 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Two next-generation imaging instruments designed by Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, launched yesterday as part of Maxar's WorldView Legion satellites. These are the first two of six planned WorldView Legion satellites, which will provide a significant leap forward in Earth observation capabilities, offering improved surveillance and monitoring for a wide range of applications.

Raytheon’s imager was designed using digital engineering practices.

Positioned in low Earth orbit, the satellites will provide the highest commercially available resolution, and when all six join the Maxar Intelligence constellation, they will enable a revisit rate of up to 15 times per day over the most populated parts of Earth. These WorldView Legion satellites will support applications across multiple sectors, including national security, military and commercial mapping, maritime monitoring, telecommunications network planning, change detection and feature identification.

"Raytheon's advanced instrument technology sets a new industry standard, providing 30cm high-resolution satellite imagery that enables WorldView Legion to fulfill today's customer needs and adapt to the evolving needs of tomorrow," said Nicholas Yiakas, director of Civil, Commercial, and Special Programs for Raytheon.

Raytheon's innovative telescope design is the culmination of 15 years of research and development into a novel optical material that is stronger and lighter than previous designs. As part of the effort, Raytheon received 8 patents with the U.S. Patent Office. The combination of lighter optics and electronics allowed Maxar to successfully reduce spacecraft mass by more than two times, reducing time to orbit and launch costs.

The high-resolution image is focused onto a next-generation digital focal plane array designed and built by Raytheon to provide high-resolution multispectral images.

The satellite imagery collected by WorldView Legion will aid in assessing humanitarian needs, providing aid to natural disasters and businesses with transformational capabilities including mapping and logistical planning, insights to world events and supporting national defense.

About Raytheon
Raytheon, an RTX business, is a leading provider of defense solutions to help the U.S. government, our allies and partners defend their national sovereignty and ensure their security. For more than 100 years, Raytheon has developed new technologies and enhanced existing capabilities in integrated air and missile defense, smart weapons, missiles, advanced sensors and radars, interceptors, space-based systems, hypersonics and missile defense across land, air, sea and space.

About RTX
With more than 185,000 global employees, RTX pushes the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2023 sales of $69 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

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SOURCE RTX