Airbus built SEOSAT/Ingenio, the first Earth observation satellite for the European Space Agency (ESA) and Spanish government has left Madrid and is ready for final testing.

The spacecraft will now start a 3 month environmental test campaign which includes the Thermal Balance and Vacuum test, followed by Mechanical Vibration, Acoustic and Electromagnetic Compatibility testing. Fifty engineers and technicians from Airbus Spain will carry out all the different tests at Airbus in Toulouse.

SEOSAT/Ingenio will be transported back to the Madrid-Barajas site in mid-September where the last functional tests will be carried out. The compatibility with the ground segment and the launcher will also be verified. Once these are complete, the Qualification Acceptance Review will take place, which is the final ESA milestone and the satellite will be ready to be launched.

The launch is scheduled for the first half of 2020 onboard a Vega launcher from Kourou, French Guiana.

Once in orbit, SEOSAT/Ingenio will complete Spain's Earth observation system, complemented by the PAZ satellite already in orbit since February 2018. Together, they will provide combined radar and optical images.

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