Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has successfully integrated the fifth and final payload to fly aboard the STPSat-3 spacecraft when it launches from Wallops Island, Virginia, in mid-2013.
The Joint Component Research (J-CORE) instrument is a space electronics component payload sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC).
“Completing instrument integration is an important step to delivering on-orbit path-finding experiments for the U.S. Air Force,” said David L. Taylor, president and CEO of Ball Aerospace. “Ball’s standard interface vehicle also increases spaceflight opportunities and lowers non-recurring spacecraft costs.”
STPSat-3 is part of the Department of Defense, Space Test Program, Standard Interface Vehicle (STP-SIV) program, managed by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Space Development & Test Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The STPSat-3 bus was built in 47 days utilizing a common spacecraft and features standard payload interfaces designed to support a variety of experimental and risk reduction payloads at various low-Earth orbits.
The STPSat-3 is Ball’s second spacecraft for the STP-SIV program. The first, STPSat-2, was launched November 19, 2010, and continues operational support for launched payloads. The Ball Configurable Platform-100 (BCP-100) is flight proven for STP-SIV as well as other Ball Aerospace programs. Under contract to NASA, Ball will next employ the BCP-100 for the technology demonstration Green Propellant Infusion Mission.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for 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. For more information visit www.ballaerospace.com.
Ball Corporation (BLL) is a supplier of high quality packaging for beverage, food, and household products, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,500 people worldwide and reported 2011 sales of more than $8.6 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.
