U.S. Space Force SMC Awards ASTRA EO/IR Mission to Support U.S. Warfighter
July 28, 2020 | PR NewswireEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The U.S. Space Force's (USSF) Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) has selected ASTRA, LLC to develop and demonstrate an Electro-Optical / Infrared (EO/IR) LEO-based cloud characterization solution that supports U.S. warfighter operations.
Striving to bridge gaps and improve functionality of Space-Based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM) systems, USSF SMC sought a commercial prototype EO/IR Weather System (EWS) mission capable of characterizing global clouds in near real-time to support Department of Defense operations.
"An industry leader in space science technology and research, ASTRA is proud to be chosen by the U.S. Space Force to provide our Rapid Revisit Optical Cloud Imager (RROCI) system to deliver near-real time cloud characterization data in support of the warfighter," says Bill Baker, ASTRA Sr. Vice President of Data Solutions.
SMC selected ASTRA, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, Science and Technology Corporation, Pumpkin Inc., and Atmospheric & Environmental Research (AER), for the first phase of the EWS mission to design, develop, and demonstrate its 8-channel RROCI prototype. ASTRA's imager will utilize commercial off-the-shelf systems to produce cloud characterization, mitigate weather risk, provide theater weather, and comparison of payload outputs to existing satellite data from a 12U satellite that meets USSF mission requirements.
"USSF SMC seeks an agile, cost-effective technology to provide timely, mission-critical information to the warfighter – ASTRA's proposed prototype will achieve this," explains Dr. Scott Jensen, the project's principal investigator and ASTRA Sr. Vice President for Technology. "Our solution assures easy implementation and rapid refresh of new technology into the architecture as required, and will meet both government and commercial SBEM requirements."
ASTRA's proposed solution will provide a cost-effective and agile demonstration mission, reducing risk and demonstrating readily available commercial technology that meets USSF's required operational mission capabilities.
Suggested Items
Orbex Secures £16.7m Investment for Rocket ‘Ramp Up’ Period
04/24/2024 | OrbexThe UK spaceflight company Orbex has received £16.7m from six backers in an update to its Series C funding round.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Going Vertical: SCHMID's Advanced Solutions for Printed Circuit Boards
04/24/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEditor Marcy LaRont chats with Bob Ferguson, the president of SCHMID, about advanced solutions for PCBs and the equipment they are highlighting at this year's show. He delves into vertical no-touch handling systems and the prospect of achieving sub-10-micron lines. Inspired by SCHMID's technology, Bob expresses excitement about where the industry is today.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Advancements in Laser Depaneling with LPKF
04/24/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOJake Benz, LPKF sales manager for North America, discusses the company's advancements in laser depaneling. LPKF has introduced a green wavelength laser for processing rigid FR-4 circuit boards, bringing significant gains in processing speeds to market. The company transitioned from IR CO2 to UV wavelength due to heat and burning issues.
Adura Solutions Exhibits at Del Mar 2024
04/24/2024 | Adura SolutionsSumit Tomar, CEO of Adura Solutions, has announced that his company will be exhibiting at this year’s Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show to be held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, San Diego, California, April 24-25.
Winner of The Science Show Rakett 69 Receives Incap Scholarship
04/24/2024 | IncapThe winner of the Rakett 69 science show, Andri Türkson, who stood out as an electronics enthusiast, received a scholarship from Incap Estonia, along with an internship opportunity in Saaremaa.