SpaceDev CHIPSat Spacecraft Delivered for Final Environmental Testing
SpaceDev announced today that its integration of
the CHIPS instrument into the CHIPSat spacecraft is complete. SpaceDev
shipped CHIPSat from the University of California, Berkeley to the Air Force
Research Laboratory Aerospace Engineering Facility (AEF) at Kirtland Air Force
base in Albuquerque, New Mexico to begin final full system vibration and
environmental testing in preparation for its planned launch in December 2002.
At AEF, CHIPSat is being operated in a realistic test environment to
perform a “dress rehearsal” for its orbital flight. The testing includes
vibration testing of all three axes, shock test, fit test, thermal vacuum,
solar array, and magnetic calibration. Once the testing is complete, CHIPSat
will be shipped to Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California for its
launch. SpaceDev anticipates that CHIPSat will arrive at VAFB on
October 15th.
“The CHIPSat program completed several crucial milestones to reach this
point,” said Jeff Janicik, director of flight systems of SpaceDev. “At the
end of June 2001, we received the CHIPS instrument and successfully completed
integration with the bus on July 24, 2002. We have already amassed 330 hours
of failure-free testing on the integrated observatory and nearly 3000 hours on
the majority of the spacecraft bus.” Other important milestones included the
completion of low-cost miniaturized subsystem products designed for generic
microsat use.
CHIPSat is a sophisticated, high-performance 45 kg microsatellite designed
and built by SpaceDev for the University of California, Berkeley under a
NASA-funded $6.8 million fixed-price contract. CHIPSat will be the first
mission ever to use end-to-end satellite operations over the Internet with
TCP/IP and FTP. This concept was analyzed and demonstrated by the NASA OMNI
team via UoSat-12; however, SpaceDev will be the first to implement the
concept as the only means of satellite communication.
CHIPSat will be the secondary payload on a Boeing Delta II; its primary
payload will be NASA’s ICESAT to be launched into a 94 degree inclination,
590 km circular orbit. The CHIPS mission is designed for one year of
operations and will carry out all-sky spectroscopy of the diffuse interstellar
background at wavelengths from 90 to 260 angstroms. The program is currently
on-schedule for a mid-December launch.
“SpaceDev has overall responsibility for the design of the mission, the
design, assembly, integration and testing of the microsatellite, and mission
control and operations from SpaceDev’s Mission Control Center,” said
Jim Benson, chairman and chief executive officer of SpaceDev. “CHIPSat is an
example of applying the microcomputer way of thinking to the space industry
that is bogged down in the ‘mainframe’ (bigger is better) way of thinking to
produce innovative and affordable microsatellites.”
About SpaceDev
SpaceDev (OTC Bulletin Board: SPDV) creates and sells affordable and
innovative space products and solutions to government and commercial
enterprises. SpaceDev products and solutions include the design, manufacture,
marketing and operation of sophisticated micro and nano satellites, hybrid
rocket-based orbital Maneuvering and orbital Transfer Vehicles (MTVs) as well
as safe sub-orbital and orbital hybrid rocket-based propulsion systems.
SpaceDev has been awarded contracts from NASA, National Reconnaissance
Organization (NRO), Boeing, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California
Space Authority (CSA) Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and commercial customers.
SpaceDev is also developing commercial hybrid rocket motors and small high
performance space vehicles and subsystems. For more information, visit
www.spacedev.com .
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