May 27, 2008 – Satellite manufacturer Astrium has been commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and build the EarthCARE Earth observation satellite. The contract worth € 263 million was signed today in Berlin at the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) by Volker Liebig, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation, Evert Dudok, CEO of Astrium Satellites and Uwe Minne, Director of Earth Observation and Science at Astrium (Friedrichshafen, Germany), in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and Head of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) Johann-Dietrich Wörner.