Ecliptic Signed On to Both Active Private Solar Sail Missions
At the World Space Congress convention
today, it was announced that Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation has been invited
to join both active private solar sail mission teams: The Planetary Society
and its Cosmos-1 project, and Team Encounter and its Earthview Flight and
Humanity’s First Starship® missions.
Early last week Ecliptic’s popular RocketCam(TM) product successfully
debuted in NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet aboard the orbiter Atlantis, and later
in the week the firm announced its first order for a RocketCam system designed
to be used on a spacecraft — the DART spacecraft now under development by
Orbital Sciences Corporation.
For The Planetary Society, Ecliptic is on contract to provide pre-launch
data systems engineering for the Cosmos-1 Project Operations Pasadena Center,
followed by project operations support during the actual mission, planned for
early 2003. The project’s principal sponsor is Cosmos Studios. A paper on the
project and the attempt to fly the first solar sail mission is being presented
at the World Space Congress.
For Houston-based Team Encounter, Ecliptic has been designated as the
supplier of the onboard video imagery systems for the Earthview and Starship
missions. The first launch of the two, Earthview, is planned for late 2004.
Ecliptic plans to supply versions of its RocketCam system for capturing
dramatic views of sail deployment and departure activities. Other principal
suppliers for these missions include Arianespace, L’Garde and Microsat
Systems, Inc.
“We’re pleased to be actively contributing to these ambitious and
pathfinding entrepreneurial space projects. It’s one of the places we want to
be,” said Ecliptic’s CEO Rex Ridenoure. “These efforts will utilize our core
strengths of data-transport systems engineering and onboard imaging systems
while also tapping into our staff’s extensive experience with real space
missions.”
Louis Friedman, Cosmos-1 Project Director and Executive Director of The
Planetary Society said: “We expect Ecliptic’s innovative approach to low-cost
missions, combined with the real-world mission experience, to help us in our
exciting and ambitious project.”
About Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation: Ecliptic provides data-transport
systems and onboard imaging systems for use with rockets, spacecraft and other
remote platforms operating in extreme environments. Its technical staff has a
broad range of direct experience on nearly eighty space missions, including
several recent deep-space missions and numerous low-cost missions involving
small satellites. The privately held firm’s core competencies include space
systems engineering, space telecommunications, aerospace avionics and
instrument systems. Its popular RocketCam(TM) product line is used on a
variety of host platforms in markets involving space systems, airborne
systems, ocean systems and test support systems. See more at
www.eclipticenterprises.com .
RocketCam(TM) is a trademark of Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation.
Humanity’s First Starship® is a registered trademark of Team Encounter LLC.
See Ecliptic at booth #1560 at the World Space Congress, October 14-19.
Ecliptic CEO Rex Ridenoure is scheduled to discuss the firm’s status and
projects on October 15 (Tuesday), 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. at the WSC media briefing
theater.
Marketing Contact:
Jim Cantrell
Business Development
Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation
Ph: (435)757-9940
jcantrell@eclipticenterprises.com
Media Contact:
Lyla Foggia
Foggia+Associates
(661)259-6561
lfoggia@sbcglobal.net
