Satellites : a good Franco-Italian agreement for Cannes

An Franco-Italian agreement which should be good for the Alcatel Space setting up in Cannes. During the Franco-Italian summit, in Turin, they did not only decide to launch the project of linking Lyon and Turin by fast train. A cooperation agreement for a system of earth observation satellite has been achieved. They have decided to manufacture and to put into orbit a constellation of ten multi-sensor earth observation satellites (radar and optic) for civil population as well as for the army, between 2003 and 2006. The optic component, in particular, will be manufactured under French control. Now, the setting up in Cannes has emerged as the European specialist of earth observation satellites and as one of the greatest world sites for space optic equipments. Equipments which constitute a notable part of the satellite price.