Ball Aerospace has recently completed environmental testing for the WorldView-2 satellite, and has begun post-environmental performance testing.

The WorldView-2, built for DigitalGlobe, offers high spatial resolution, multi-spectral satellite imagery for civil government mapping, land-use planning, disaster relief, exploration, defence, intelligence and visualisation and simulation environments.

The environmental testing for the satellite comprised thermal vacuum, electromagnetic compatibility, electromagnetic interference, vibration, shock and acoustic testing.

Ball Aerospace civil and operational space unit vice-president and general manager Cary Ludtke said that they are eager to get the second WorldView satellite in orbit to demonstrate the combined capabilities of the two spacecraft, particularly the control moment gyroscope agility, not available on any other commercial imaging system.

The satellite, like WorldView-1, will carry the BCP 5000 spacecraft bus for next-generation optical and synthetic aperture radar remote sensing payloads.

The WorldView-2 is expected to lift-off on 6 October 2009.