One Stop Satellite Solutions Announces Memorandum of Understanding with ISC Kosmotras and Thiokol for Small Satellite Integration Management
One Stop Satellite
Solutions, Inc. (OSSS) announced today that it has signed a memorandum
of understanding with International Space Company (ISC) Kosmotras, of
Moscow, Russia, and Thiokol Propulsion of Brigham City, Utah,
outlining the planned cooperation of all three entities in
small-satellite integration management. The announcement was made by
Dale Richards, President and CEO of OSSS.
“This memo of understanding marks the completion of the
infrastructure for OSSS, in that it assures us of specific launch
capabilities for our small satellite payloads, which will enable us to
provide cost-efficient small satellite services for universities and
other commercial clients that might otherwise find costs prohibitive,”
said Richards.
Under this memorandum of understanding, ISC Kosmotras will provide
relatively inexpensive launch opportunities using the Dnepr Launch
Vehicle, supported by the government bodies of Russia and the Ukraine.
OSSS will provide management and integration of small satellites into
a single payload module utilizing the OSSS multi-payload adapted.
Thiokol will provide organizational and legal support for the joint
program as a marketing agent of ISC Kosmotras.
The first launch is scheduled for March 2001, with payloads that
include a satellite to demonstrate the low-cost space technologies
developed by OSSS. The agreement calls for ISC Kosmotras to allocate
one Dnepr launch per year to OSSS from 2001 through 2007.
OSSS is a four-year old company that has commercialized the
technology under development for 15 years at the Center for Aerospace
Technology (CAST) at Weber State University. OSSS’ mission is to
provide its customers with low cost, high-quality small satellites for
more effective access to space. OSSS and CAST have successfully
designed, engineered and manufactured eight low earth orbit (LEO)
satellites in the 100 to 500 pound class. OSSS’ proprietary technology
provides attitude control that is more precise and less complex to
operate than any other small satellite system on the market.
Additional patents are pending that will allow this technology to be
utilized in other control applications.
Thiokol Propulsion, a business unit of Alcoa, Inc., has been the
nation’s leading supplier of solid rocket propulsion systems for space
launch vehicles since the inception of manned space flight. Thiokol
provides Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRMs) for NASA’s Space Shuttle
program and is a major supplier of propulsion systems launch vehicles
used in other government and commercial flights. The company is the
worldwide leader in the reclamation and reuse of rocket motor fuels,
as evidenced by its role in demilitarization programs in Russia and
the Ukraine.
ISC Kosmotras was established in 1997 by the national space
agencies of Russia and the Ukraine for development and commercial
operation of the Dnepr Space Launch System. Located on the Baikonur
Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, this launch system is based on SS-18 ICBM
technology. The ISC Kosmotras mission is able to put into practice a
conversion of the large number of SS-18s from military to peacetime
use. This mission was committed to ISC Kosmotras by the governments of
Russia and Ukraine.
OSSS demonstrated its satellite design and manufacturing
capability in January of this year with the successful launch of a
multi-use group of satellites aboard a decommissioned U.S. Minuteman
Missle. The addition of launch capability via this agreement greatly
enhances OSSS’ opportunities to provide its customers with low-cost
access to space.
