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Orbital Express spacecraft successfully launched (Forwarded)



 
 
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Old March 14th 07, 01:19 PM posted to sci.space.news
Andrew Yee[_1_]
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Default Orbital Express spacecraft successfully launched (Forwarded)

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Arlington, Virginia

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2007

ORBITAL EXPRESS SPACECRAFT SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED

Two Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Orbital Express
demonstrator spacecraft were launched yesterday at 10:10 p.m. EST, from
Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard an
Atlas V 401 booster. The launch was sponsored by the Department of Defense
Space Test Program (STP), as part of the STP-1 mission, which includes, in
addition to Orbital Express, the STPSat-1 spacecraft and three other
microsatellites.

Orbital Express consists of a next generation serviceable "client" satellite
(NextSat) and a prototype servicing spacecraft (Autonomous Space Transport
Robotic Orbiter or ASTRO). They were deployed together into a circular,
492-kilometer, low earth orbit with an inclination of 46 degrees. They will
spend the next three months in orbit, demonstrating for the first time fully
autonomous rendezvous and capture of client spacecraft,
satellite-to-satellite refueling, and replacement of battery and
flight-computer orbital replacement units.

The technologies developed by DARPA's Orbital Express program are intended
to support a broad range of future U.S. national security, civil, and
commercial space activities. "What we're showing with Orbital Express is
how on-orbit refueling and modular upgrades will make it possible for us to
work around some key obstacles: stringent maneuvering constraints, part
failures, and technological obsolescence," noted Lt. Col. Fred Kennedy,
USAF, DARPA's Orbital Express program manager. "We're hoping that mission
designers will see the advantages of a flexible architecture, where you can
pop in a better flight computer, a fresh battery, or a decade's worth of
additional propellant."

On-orbit satellite refueling would provide the United States with the
flexibility to maneuver its satellites and optimize their time over ground
targets, avoid both debris and other spacecraft, change orbits to counter
denial and deception activities on the ground, and, more generally, provide
tactical agility for a wide range of emerging missions. Refueling
commercial satellites would extend their service life without incurring the
construction and launch costs for replacement assets. The ability to
replace or upgrade electronic components on deployed spacecraft would
support more rapid deployment of new technologies to satellites, without
fielding new vehicles. Satellites could be upgraded with technologies that
become available after launch, or components that fail prematurely could be
replaced.

Boeing Phantom Works, Huntington Beach, Calif., is DARPA's prime integrator
for the Orbital Express program. They fabricated, assembled, and tested the
ASTRO servicing spacecraft. Ball Aerospace constructed the NextSat client
satellite. Other members of the Orbital Express team include NASA; Northrop
Grumman Space Technology; MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates; Charles Stark
Draper Laboratory; and Starsys Research.

-END-

Media with questions, please contact Jan Walker, (703) 696-2404. Images and
mission updates will be available online at www.darpa.mil/orbitalexpress .

*****

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

Contact:
(303) 533-6059

March 9, 2007

Ball Aerospace's NextSat Launched for Orbital Express Mission

Robotic Mission Supports Future of U.S. National Security

BOULDER, CO -- The first-of-its kind, autonomous servicing demonstration
satellite launched on Thursday, March 8, 2007, aboard a United Launch
Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The
three-month space mission is sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA).

The Orbital Express (OE) Advanced Technology Demonstration Program
dual-satellite mission, includes the Next Generation Satellite and
Commodities Spacecraft (NextSat/CSC), built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies
Corp., and the Autonomous Space Transfer and Robotic Orbiter (ASTRO) built
by The Boeing Company. The mission is designed to demonstrate the capability
of robotic refueling, autonomous rendezvous and docking, as well as repairs
and equipment upgrades of a spacecraft on-orbit.

"This pioneering demonstration advances critical technologies that support
national security missions," said David L. Taylor, president and chief
executive officer of Ball Aerospace. "A successful Orbital Express
demonstration could revolutionize future space systems both in terms of cost
and the extension of spacecraft life."

The two spacecraft are designed to transfer between them spacecraft fuel and
two Orbital Replacement Units, a battery and computer. On orbit they will
separate and demonstrate rendezvous and capture from increasing distances
and levels of autonomy. Ball Aerospace's NextSat/CSC employs architecture
adapted from the successful Deep Impact Impactor, including software,
command and data handling, and power switching; as well as elements from
BCP-2000, such as the narrow-band telecom architecture from the Ball-built
CloudSat. The Deep Impact Impactor was able to autonomously steer itself
into the path of comet Tempel 1 in 2005, using similar technologies that the
NextSat/CSC spacecraft bus will use to demonstrate rendezvous and capture
sequences during its mission.

The prototype ASTRO servicing satellite and the surrogate next generation
serviceable satellite, NextSat system were a payload on the Air Force Space
Test Program STP-1 mission. The Orbital Express program is funded through
DARPA and managed by The Boeing Company. The Orbital Express contractor team
includes Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boeing, Northrop Grumman
Corporation, McDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., Charles Stark Draper
Laboratory Inc. and Starsys Research Corp.

Ball Aerospace supports critical missions of important national agencies
such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and
commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft,
advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and
RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. Over the
past 50 years, Ball Aerospace has been responsible for numerous
technological and scientific "firsts" and now acts as a technology innovator
for the aerospace market.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging
products and owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Ball reported 2006
sales of $6.6 billion and employs 15,500 people .

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release contains "forward-looking" statements
and other statements concerning future events and financial performance.
Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," and variations of same
and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which
could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in
the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
especially in Exhibit 99.2 in the most recent Form 10-K. These filings are
available at our Web site and at www.sec.gov . Factors that might affect our
packaging segments include fluctuation in consumer and customer demand and
preferences; availability and cost of raw materials, including due to the
effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as recent significant
increases in resin, steel, aluminum and energy costs, and the ability to
pass such increases on to customers; competitive packaging availability,
pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; fruit, vegetable
and fishing yields; industry productive capacity and competitive activity;
failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost
reductions, including those associated with our beverage can end project;
the German mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in
major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or
supplier; international business risks, including foreign exchange rates,
tax rates and activities of foreign subsidiaries; and the effect of LIFO
accounting on earnings. Factors that might affect aerospace segment include:
funding, authorization and availability of government contracts and the
nature and continuation of those contracts; and delays, extensions and
technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that could
affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: acquisitions, joint
ventures or divestitures; regulatory action or laws including tax,
environmental and workplace safety; governmental investigations;
technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust,
patent and other litigation; strikes; boycotts; labor cost changes; rates of
return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit
retirement plans; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and
changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or management's
evaluation of the company's internal control over financial reporting.

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.darpa.mil/orbitalexpress/images/OE_1.jpg (3MB)]
The NextSat spacecraft built by Ball Aerospace is mated with the Autonomous
Space Transfer and Robotic Orbiter built by the Boeing Company. The Orbital
Express dual-satellite mission launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, Fla., on Thursday, March 9.

*****

Boeing

Contact Info:
Robert Villanueva
Boeing Advanced Systems
office: (562) 496-5688

March 09, 2007

Boeing Orbital Express to Demonstrate New On-Orbit Servicing Capability

ST. LOUIS -- A Boeing-led [NYSE: BA] industry team today announced the
successful launch of Orbital Express, a demonstration spacecraft that is
part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program aimed at
demonstrating fully autonomous on-orbit spacecraft servicing capabilities.

Liftoff occurred yesterday at 10:10 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41,
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Following a nominal flight, the
United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket deployed the spacecraft to a low-Earth
orbit.

The three-month mission will demonstrate various functions of the new
system.

"Orbital Express is a revolutionary system that will offer customers with
appropriately configured on-orbit assets new options to enhance the
operation of their systems," said George Muellner, president of Boeing
Advanced Systems. "This demonstration mission is the first step toward
developing an operational system that can service satellites and support
other space operations. Orbital Express continues our success in delivering
solutions that shape new markets through the integration of people,
innovation and technology."

Orbital Express consists of the Autonomous Space Transport Robotic
Operations (ASTRO) servicing spacecraft developed by Boeing Advanced Network
and Space Systems; and NextSat, a prototypical modular next-generation
serviceable client spacecraft developed by Ball Aerospace.

The demonstration mission will validate capabilities critical for the
development of emerging and future space systems. When operational, the new
integrated rendezvous proximity operations and capture system will provide
satellite and spacecraft operators with a routine on-orbit servicing
capability for such things as fuel and component transfer, relocation,
inspection, safe de-orbit and on-orbit assembly.

Major test objectives include:

* Autonomous operations, including rendezvous from 7 km with a capability to
support rendezvous at separation distances up to 1,000 km and beyond
* Onboard relative navigation and guidance systems
* Robotic arm system
* Multiple captures of the NextSat client spacecraft performed directly and
using the robotic arm
* Sub-meter range autonomous station-keeping
* Fluid and component transfer
* Passive, targetless rendezvous sensor systems

"Today's launch is a major milestone for the Orbital Express program," said
Alex Lopez, vice president, Boeing Advanced Network and Space Systems. "Our
team has worked very hard to prepare for this important mission, and I
congratulate them on their accomplishment. We're looking forward to a
successful demonstration for our customer and moving forward with developing
and deploying the first operational system."

DARPA selected Boeing as the prime integrator for Phase II of the Orbital
Express Advanced Technology Demonstration program in March 2002.

Orbital Express team members include NASA, Ball Aerospace, Northrop Grumman
Space Technology, MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., the Charles
Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., and Starsys Research.

Additional Orbital Express information, including mission updates, can be
found at:
http://www.boeing.com/ids/advanced_systems/orbital.html
 




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