Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC selected for the NASA Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition Catalog

Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC (SST-US), Englewood, Colorado, has been selected by the NASA Rapid Spacecraft Development Office (RSDO) for inclusion of three flight proven satellite platforms in the third NASA Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition Catalog (Rapid III).

Through this contractual framework SST-US will be able to engage with NASA and other Government Agencies for the rapid provision of low risk, cost effective satellite solutions based on the SSTL 150, 300 and 600 platforms.

The baseline platforms are able to carry a range of payloads with mass requirements of 50 kg to 200 kg and power requirements of 50 Watts to 400 Watts.

SSTL-150 : 50 kg payload mass / 50 W payload power
SSTL-300 : 150 kg payload mass / 140 W payload power
SSTL-600 : 200 kg payload mass / 400 W payload power

All are existing platforms and have been used on to implement a variety of missions.

RapidEye

Standard SSTL-150 platform, accommodating 6.5 m resolution Earth Imaging Payload.

NigeriaSAT-2

Custom mechanical configuration of the SSTL-300 platform, demonstrating the ability to customize the platform designs to fulfil specific mission, customer or payload requirements.

ESA Giove-A

SSTL-600 platform design, adapted to operate a high power navigation payload in the harsh medium earth orbit radiation environment. A demonstration of the ability to modify and change core subsystems to allow operation of the platforms in different orbital environments.

In addition to the baseline platform offering, SST-US is able to tailor their satellite solutions to fulfill specific customer, mission, orbital and payload requirements.

Drawing on a proven track record and extensive flight heritage acquired over 34 small satellite missions and more than 200 years of in orbit experience, SST-US is able to provide customers with rapid, low-risk, cost effective small satellite solutions, applications and services.

SST-US’ Chief Executive Officer, Dr. John Paffett stated “It is a privilege for SST-US to have been selected by NASA for inclusion in the catalog. It is recognition of the company’s capabilities, expertise and heritage. We believe that the Catalog provides an efficient route for SST-US to provide rapid, low risk, cost effective satellite solutions to NASA and other Government Agencies and we look forward to delivering future mission opportunities.”

About Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC

SST-US is a Delaware registered company, with its principal offices located in Englewood, Colorado. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), was established in 2008 to address the United States market and its customers for the provision of small satellite solutions, applications and services.

SST-US, albeit foreign owned, has been structured and organized to be an American company under American control and operation.

The activities of SST-US draw extensively on the heritage, background and capability of all elements of the Surrey group, with a proven track record in provision of high quality, rapid, cost effective small satellite solutions, applications and services. SST-US’ owner, SSTL, is fully committed to establishment of the capability, approach, culture, ethos and product portfolio within the United States, going to lengths to ensure that the overseas expansion occurs transparently to its customer base without loss of capability or quality.

Since 1981, Surrey has launched 34 satellites as well as providing training and development programs, consultancy services, and mission studies for NASA, the US Air Force, LANL, and other institutional and commercial customers, with its innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.

NASA Rapid Spacecraft Development Office (“RSDO”) announced March 30, 2010 that Surrey has been awarded a contract to supply three satellite platforms.

Simplify and accelerate your procurement of Surrey’s satellite busses

If you are a US Government Agency and are planning a mission to fly a payload in the range 50kg/50W to 200kg/400W to LEO, MEO or GEO, Surrey can offer you a streamlined and rapid process to getting into orbit.

NASA has assessed and validated our heritage designs, our systems and processes and our end-to-end capabilities so that you don’t have to, saving you time and money from the outset.

Whether you are at the initial mission planning phase or have an instrument waiting for a flight, our versatile, modular, flight-proven platforms can accommodate a wide range of mission-specific requirements.

We have already agreed top-level interface, accommodation and performance parameters, as well as standard terms and conditions, statements of work, delivery schedules and price baselines for all three of our NASA Rapid III satellite platforms.

Surrey’s Rapid III Core Platforms

RapidEye

GIOVE-A – SSTL600 platform design, adapted to operate a high power navigation payload in the harsh medium earth orbit radiation environment. A demonstration of the company’s ability to modify and change core subsystems to allow operation of the platforms in different orbital environments

Our baseline Rapid III contracts include the design and development of the core spacecraft, testing, payload integration and test, launch operations support, and on-orbit checkout; we can also provide additional mission-specific services and systems as required.

What to do next?
If you are planning a mission and want to learn more about how to use our NASA Rapid III contract to access a low-risk, cost-effective and schedule-efficient route to getting into space, NASA’s Rapid Spacecraft Development Office can help to guide you through the process.

Surrey and the RSDO are ready to discuss your mission requirements and help you select the platform that is the best solution to your needs: http://rsdo.gsfc.nasa.gov

We will be at the National Space Symposium 2010 in Colorado Springs, CO, from 12th-15th April 2010. Come and meet our team on Stand 308 for an initial discussion: www.nationalspacesymposium.org

You can also contact us in our Denver office: info@sst-us.com

You can read the official NASA press release at: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/mar/HQ_C10-018_RAPID_III.html