Astrium's teams have successfully completed the in-orbit delivery of the SSOT satellite system, which launched from the European spaceport in French Guiana on 16 December 2011.

In accepting delivery, the Chilean Air Force (FACh) confirmed that the conditions for the handover of the satellite, FASat Charlie, have been met in full within three months of its launch, thanks to its exceptional performance.

"Astrium is proud to have developed and delivered Latin America's most powerful Earth observation satellite to the Chilean authorities and to have done so in optimum conditions, with performance matching perfectly the requirements and even exceeding the customers' expectations" said Astrium CEO Francois Auque, who is in Chile for the FIDAE International Air and Space Fair.

"This is a defining moment in Astrium's long collaboration with Chile, which began in 2000. Far from marking its culmination, it is a stage in what we hope will become a wider and more intense partnership."

The SSOT programme comprises a satellite and an operational ground segment based in Santiago, Chile. The satellite has a panchromatic resolution of 1.45 meters, representing unprecedented performance for a satellite weighing only 117 kg.

The 20 Chilean engineers operating it were trained at the Astrium site in Toulouse, where the system and satellite were developed and built.

SSOT is the latest satellite system to be exported by Astrium, the world's leading exporter of Earth observation satellite systems.

"Astrium is the world's third-largest space company and the number one in Europe. Our expertise encompasses all space activities, from launchers to satellite systems, the manufacture of the most sophisticated Earth observation, scientific and telecommunications satellites, as well as related telecommunications and image-processing services and applications designed to benefit our customers" added Francois Auque.

"We are delighted to have had the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities and consolidate our position as world leader in the Earth observation market. We are keen to continue working with the Chilean authorities and, beyond that, with the authorities of other countries in the region to help them identify the space solutions that are best suited to their needs."

Astrium is playing an active role at FIDAE 2012, which is currently taking place in Santiago, participating in conferences on space that have brought together, under the auspices of the Chilean Air Force, representatives from space agencies across Latin America.