UK-DMC BILSAT-1

Satellite characteristics

Launch Date - End 26 September 2003 - 14 August 2006

État Decommissioned

Orbit type Sun-synchronous circular orbit

Altitude 686

Orbit inclination 98.2

Equatorial crossing time 10:15:00

Orbit period 97.7

Satellite family: DMC (Disaster Monitoring Constellation)

The Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) is an international program initially proposed in 1996 and led by SSTL (Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd), Surrey, UK, to construct a network of five affordable LEO microsatellites. The DMC consortium comprises a partnership between organizations in Algeria, China, Nigeria, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Each  satellite is independently owned and controlled by a DMC Consortium member.

The objective is to provide a daily global imaging capability at high and very high resolution (32 m, 22 m and 2,5 m), in 3-4 spectral bands, for rapid-response disaster monitoring and mitigation.


First Generation

  • AlSAT-1 (Algeria);
  • BilSAT (Turkey);
  • NigeriaSAT-1 (Nigeria);
  • UK-DMC (United Kingdom);
  • Beijing-1 (China).


Second Generation

  • Deimos-1 (Spanish commercial);
  • UK-DMC 2 (United Kingdom);
  • NigeriaSAT-2 (Nigeria);
  • NigeriaSat-X (Nigeria).

Sensor characteristics

Sensor name COBAN (Multiband Camera)
Sensor short description
Sensor type Imaging radiometer (Vis/IR)
Resolution class Medium (30 - 300 m)
Sensor name MSIS (Multispectral Imaging System)
Sensor short description
Sensor type Imaging radiometer (Vis/IR)
Resolution class High (5 - 30 m)
Swath width (at nadir) 55 km
Sensor name PanCam (Panchromatic Camera)
Sensor short description
Sensor type Imaging radiometer (Vis/IR)
Resolution class High (5 - 30 m)
Swath width (at nadir) 25 km