Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) of Guildford, in the UK, has been awarded a $5.1 million contract to build a microsatellite spacecraft bus for the US Air Force. It is the first contract to be awarded by the US Government to the UK concern.
The spacecraft, to be called the PICOSat, will weigh 65kg and will carry four military-technology payloads. It will be carried as a piggyback payload on a US launcher in November 1998.
SSTL will procure the launch using a $2.5 million element of the contract, and the PICOS at will be operated and controlled from SSTL's ground station at the University of Surrey in Guildford.
The craft will be based on the SSTL's successful Microsatellite. A dozen of these craft have been launched for the University and international customers between 1984 and 1995.
Four others are in production for launches this year and next. These are being built for Chile, France, Malaysia and Thailand, while a fifth will be a new 350kg-class Microsatellite to be operated by SSTL and a Singapore company as a technology and applications demonstrator for the commercial market. The craft will be equipped with a 10m (30ft)-resolution panchromatic camera among its suite of instruments.
The spacecraft will be launched on a Russian Rokot later this year. SSTL is expected to sign an agreement with Russia, offering a joint Microsatellite and Minisatellite production and launch delivery service to international customers for a applications including communications and remote sensing.
Source: Flight International