EROS B
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satellite imagery, Earth observation |
| Headquarters | Limassol, Tel Aviv , Cyprus, Israel |
| Products | Earth observation satellites (EROS series) |
| Owner | ImageSat International N.V. |
The Earth Remote Observation System-B (EROS-B) represents the second installment in Israel's commercial Earth observation satellite lineup, engineered and produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Ownership and operational control rest with ImageSat International N.V. (ISI), a company incorporated in the Netherlands Antilles, maintaining offices in Limassol, Cyprus, and Tel Aviv, Israel.
Construction of "EROS B" commenced just one day prior to the launch of "EROS A" by ImageSat International. Originally slated for deployment in 2001, the program planned for six more satellites to follow. In July 2000, ISI successfully secured over $90 million in funding, complemented by a $70 million credit facility from Bank Leumi in 2001 to support development costs. Financial obstacles delayed EROS B's launch until 2003. On 28 July 2001, IAI entered into a $110 million agreement with ISI to manufacture EROS B; however, progress was hindered as commercial customer commitments did not meet the necessary financial thresholds.
Satellite description
The satellite stands 2.3 meters tall with a diameter of 1.2 meters and has a launch weight of 350 kilograms. Its architecture draws upon the military reconnaissance satellite Ofeq-3, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries for governmental applications. ImageSat International anticipates an operational lifespan extending up to 14 years.
Control systems
For precise attitude control, EROS-B employs three-axis stabilization supported by four reaction wheel actuators, along with a suite of sensors including a star tracker, horizon sensor, Sun sensor, gyroscope, and magnetometer.
Ground communication systems
The spacecraft is equipped with an imagery downlink capability of 280 Mbit/s—quadruple the speed of EROS-A—plus a maintenance downlink and command uplink each operating at 15 kbit/s.
Launch
On 25 April 2006, EROS-B was launched from Svobodny Cosmodrome’s Launch Complex-5 located in eastern Siberia. ImageSat International verified image transmission from the satellite within three days post-launch.
Mission
EROS-B delivers optical imagery at a resolution of 70 centimeters and was initially tasked with monitoring Iran’s nuclear activities to support Israeli national security interests. It utilizes a charge-coupled device (CCD) push broom scanner featuring 10,000 pixels per line and 96 lines for Time-Delay Integration (TDI), capable of both asynchronous and synchronous imaging modes. The satellite provides panchromatic images with a ground sample distance (GSD) of 0.70 meters.
In contrast to EROS-A’s agricultural focus, EROS-B concentrates on overseeing unauthorized construction, infrastructure surveillance, and emergency management tasks such as oil and gas exploration monitoring. Notably, it is the first commercial satellite to offer high-resolution nighttime light imagery.
During the Rio Olympic Games in June 2016, EROS-B played a vital role in security operations by capturing high-resolution imagery—up to 50 centimeters—across an area spanning 450 kilometers, facilitating detailed recognition of objects and individuals; this capability was emphasized by Brazilian Defense Minister Raul Jungmann.