PLAINFIELD, Conn., 9 August 2005. When the space shuttle Discovery landed this morning, a Plainfield-based battery manufacturer took pride that its products helped with the success of the space launch and its mission in space.
BST Systems said that its high-tech batteries played a role in both the launch of the Discovery shuttle as well as allowing in-flight repairs. Company officials said a total of 11 batteries designed and manufactured by BST were aboard Discovery.
During the launch, six of the firm's flight instrumentation batteries provided power to the vehicle's radar tracking system and its safety and flight electronics subsystems, ensuring a successful launch. BST Systems, which was founded in 1983, develops and manufactures specialized high-energy batteries that are used for both aerospace and military applications.
In addition to the six BST batteries used during the launch of Discovery, five extravehicular mobility unit, or EMU, batteries are on board the Shuttle. The batteries are used in the astronaut's spacesuits and provide life-support power outside the craft during spacewalks. Those batteries were used during the flight's tile inspection and repair operations outside the shuttle by astronaut Steve Robinson and his team. Those specialized batteries will remain on board the shuttle for future flights. For more information, see www.bstsys.com.
On Monday, bad weather postponed the space shuttle's landing after orbiting the Earth for 13 days. Low cloud cover over Cape Canaveral in Florida had NASA officials worried about a safe landing. The shuttle touched down on Tuesday at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
By Anthony Cronin
The Day, New London, Conn.
Copyright (c) 2005
