By Keith Stein
For: Space & Missile Defense Report 9/22/03
The Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, Integrated Experiments and Evaluation Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., intends to award a sole source contract to Microsat System, Inc. (MSI) to buiild a TechSat 21microsatellite within nine months under the Responsive Space Program (RSP).
The history of RSP is embedded in the TechSat 21 program. TechSat 21 is an effort to explore the use of microsats for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions by using clusters of formation flying microsats to form a "virtual Satellite". The objective of TechSat 21 is to show demonstration of formations of microsatellites flying in close proximity to perform missions otherwise performed by larger, monolithic satellites.
The objective of RSP is to rapidly design, build, test, and field an operationally relevant microsatellite system; reduce timelines for development, test, launch, and checkout; and provide a responsive capability to the user.
The objective of this proposed contract is to build, and deliver a microsatellite bus, using available excess hardware, wtihin nine months; and, leverage previous government investment on the developmentof small, low cost satellite components and systems. There will be options for two additional microsatellite buses, the Air Force said in their announcement issued last week.
The period of performance for this contract is 20 months, to also include integration, testing, launch and six months of on-orbit operations, with an anticipated start date of November 2003. The option periods will not be more than 18 months each.
In April, MSI completed rigorous structural and dynamics testing of the TechSat 21 satellite bus.
The satellite is designed for the Boeing Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle secondary payload adapter launch environment.
MSI also successfully completed interface verification testing of the attitude control system's torque rods.