Boeing’s All-Electric Satellite Passes Critical Design Review

Boeing’s first all-electric powered satellite has passed its Critical Design Review (CDR) which allows the company to move forward with integration and testing for the first two satellites.
The all-electric satellite platform, formally named the 702 Small Platform (702SP), was introduced in March 2012 as a 3- to 8-kilowatt platform with what Boeing says is “simpler design that can be built more quickly while costing and weighing less than traditional satellites. Its all-electric propulsion minimizes the spacecraft’s mass and maximizes available payload.”

“Passing Critical Design Review validates that the innovative 702SP will meet requirements and perform as expected for our launch customers and beyond,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems and CEO of Boeing Satellite Systems International.

Commercial satellite service providers Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS), Bermuda, and Satélites Mexicanos S.A. de C.V. (Satmex), Mexico City, have jointly placed an order for four satellites, with options for four more.

Once completed the two satellites are scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the first quarter of 2015.