Australia is taking the science of mineral exploration to new heights.
A consortium of business and government interests is developing a satellite to carry imaging spectrometers capable of differentiating between the spectral signatures of various minerals in rocks and soil.
The satellite is known as ARIES-1, an acronym for Australian Resources Information and Environment Satellite. Plans call for the object to be launched into a low orbit and circle the Earth, north to south, every 90 minutes.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with a launch date set for 2000.
The consortium consists of: the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), an Australian government research body; the Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES); and Auspace, a unit of the aerospace group Matra-Marconi.
ARIES-1 would have a 5-year lifespan and is expected to cost more than A$200 million (US$270 million). Funding is being arranged through Macquarie Bank in Australia, which says the project could be funded through debt and equity from resource companies. To participate, each of these companies would contribute a minimum of A$10 million.
A second satellite, ARIES-2, is under consideration.
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