SEATTLE, Aug. 6, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Andrews Space (Andrews) announced today that it has been awarded a contract valued at more than $1.5M to develop plug and play spacecraft subsystems and demonstrate integrated spacecraft capability.
Under the contract Andrews will add the functionality to support plug and play interfaces into its existing line of spacecraft subsystem elements; which includes flight computers, power distribution units, control moment gyros (CMGs), reaction wheels, and sensors. The spacecraft subsystems will then be integrated into a five degrees of freedom (5-DOF) spacecraft testbed to demonstrate, in a real-time hardware in the loop environment, end to end system functionality. Andrews will conduct full motion spacecraft mission simulations using a control room and flat floor, which are currently in development at its Andrews Rapid Prototyping Lab near Seattle, WA.
"We are excited to expand our product offerings to include plug and play capability," said Jason Andrews, President of Andrews Space. "This program is one of several efforts underway to integrate plug and play interfaces, such as USB (SPA-U), spacewire (SPA-S), and Ethernet (SPA-E), into our existing line of spacecraft components."
The contract is part of an Air Force Research Laboratory effort to train operators in ORS technologies. Andrews is contracting with Star Technologies Inc., who is leading the effort. Star Technologies has an integrated spacecraft development software suite (Spacecraft Design Tool - SDT) capable of simulating satellite missions. Andrews and Star Technologies will integrate the SDT software suite with the spacecraft simulators as part of the real-time mission simulator environment.
"Having the capability to demonstrate full spacecraft functionality in a real time environment is a critical capability for training the next generation of war fighter," continued Andrews.
The plug and play spacecraft simulator will consist of flight-capable subsystems. The next phase of the program, if awarded, will focus on developing and launching a small plug and play spacecraft that can be used for mission training.
About the Company:
Andrews Space, Inc. was founded in 1999 to be a catalyst in the commercialization and development of space. The company is an affordable integrator of aerospace systems and a developer of advanced space technologies. Andrews' customers include NASA and the Department of Defense, as well as aerospace prime contractors. To learn more, visit www.andrews-space.com.
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