The TerraSAR-X Earth observation satellite is a joint venture being carried out under a Public-Partnership between the DLR and Astrium GmbH (Friedrichshafen). The exclusive commercial exploitation rights are held by the geo-information service provider Infoterra GmbH. In the first four months of operational service, this new German radar satellite has lived up to high expectations. Its flexible, weather-independent acquisition capabilities and the unique data quality have proven to be valuable in rapid emergency response operations and the data are widely tested and used in geo-information services worldwide. TerraSAR-X's capabilities are the basis for whole new concepts and ...