Raytheon Company has secured a contract to provide satellite imaging payload for DigitalGlobe’s next-generation of WorldView Legion satellite constellation. 

The payload will be designed to double DigitalGlobe’s capacity to capture multispectral and 30cm imagery.

It will also be able to triple and quadruple DigitalGlobe’s capacity to capture images of high-demand areas.

The payload solution will further be able to increase efficiencies, as well as extend mission life and offer a larger field of view among others.

"DigitalGlobe's combined constellation of satellites will be able to take images of the most frequently changing areas on Earth every 20 to 30 minutes."

As part of the latest contract, Raytheon will also provide telescopes, detectors and combined electronics to Space Systems Loral, which is responsible for integrating the WorldView Legion space vehicle.

Following the launch of WorldView Legion constellation, DigitalGlobe's combined constellation of satellites will be able to take images of the most frequently changing areas on Earth every 20 to 30 minutes.

Launching of the WorldView Legion is due to be started by 2020 to replace the existing WorldView-1, WorldView-2, and GeoEye-1 satellites.

SSL’s manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, California, US, will be engaged to build the constellation, which will be placed in a low-Earth orbit (LEO).