DULLES, Va., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbital Imaging Corporation (ORBIMAGE) announced today that it has modified its license arrangement with MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) that previously provided ORBIMAGE with exclusive worldwide distribution rights for imagery from the RADARSAT-2 satellite scheduled for launch in 2003. Under the terms of the new agreement, ORBIMAGE will retain the exclusive distribution rights for RADARSAT-2 imagery to customers in the United States, the largest market in the world, and the worldwide satellite capacity necessary to service this market. ORBIMAGE will return license rights to customers in other parts of the world to MDA. This new agreement will have the effect of reducing ORBIMAGE's financial obligation to MDA and will permit ORBIMAGE to focus its marketing and sales efforts in the United States, its highest priority market.
ORBIMAGE is a leading global provider of Earth imagery products and services, with a planned constellation of five digital remote sensing satellites. The company currently operates the OrbView-1 atmospheric imaging satellite (launched in 1995), the OrbView-2 ocean and land multispectral imaging satellite (launched in 1997), and a worldwide integrated image receiving, processing and distribution network. Currently under development, ORBIMAGE's OrbView-3 and OrbView-4 high-resolution satellites will offer one- meter panchromatic and four-meter multispectral digital imagery. OrbView-4 will also offer the world's first commercial hyperspectral satellite imagery. ORBIMAGE is also the U.S. distributor of imagery from the Canadian RADARSAT-2 satellite.
ORBIMAGE currently offers one-meter high-resolution panchromatic imagery of major U.S. and non-U.S. urban areas through its OrbView Cities catalog, available at http://www.orbimage.com . In addition, ORBIMAGE distributes satellite imagery from SPOT Image, RADARSAT International and Russia's two- meter satellite program. ORBIMAGE also offers the SeaStar Pro Fisheries Information Service, which provides fish finding maps derived from OrbView-2 ocean imagery to fishing customers worldwide. SOURCE Orbital Sciences Corporation
CONTACT: Barron Beneski of Orbital Sciences Corporation, 703-406-5528, or Beneski.barron@orbital.com/