ASHBURN, Va., 7 April 2006. AeroAstro Inc. and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. have been awarded the Department of Defense Space Test Program Standard Interface Vehicle (STP-SIV) contract, which has a potential contract value of $110 million. AeroAstro Inc., a provider of small satellites and related technology products, is scheduled to design and build the spacecraft bus and provide integration, launch, and mission operations support under a six-year contract with Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
The Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract supports procurement of up to six small satellites to fly future space experiments.
The initial award calls for one spacecraft with a standard payload interface, integration and testing of one or more experiments onto the vehicle, launch integration, and technical support for at least one year of mission operations.
The spacecraft will be designed to fly in low earth orbit at a wide range of inclinations, with a minimum one-year lifetime.
The proposed STP-SIV spacecraft bus is derived from AeroAstro's STPSat-1 space vehicle. The design includes a separable Payload Standard Interface Module that may be integrated in parallel with the bus to support accelerated launch schedules and reduce technical risk.
