Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corporation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with United Launch Alliance (ULA) to serve as the primary Auxiliary Payload Customer on CubeSat Rideshare Initiative efforts through December 31, 2019.
ULA’s CubeSat Rideshare Initiative enables rideshare opportunities on its Atlas V launch vehicle and aims to tap into a growing market of small satellites with applications in education, scientific research, U.S. Government and commercial business. CubeSats are miniaturized satellites originally designed for use in conjunction with university educational projects and quickly becoming a dependable tool for advance missions. CubeSats are made of one or more units, called U’s, measuring 10cm x 10cm x 10cm with a mass of 1.33 kilograms.
Under this MOU, Tyvak will provide low-cost access to space for both commercial and U.S. Government CubeSat customers, as well as no-cost access to space for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) CubeSat customers for rideshares on ULA’s Atlas V launch vehicles.
Tyvak is responsible for identifying, obtaining, and integrating CubeSat customers on the ULA Atlas V launch vehicle system. In addition, as part of the agreement with ULA, Tyvak will provide up to three STEM CubeSat slots at no cost for each Atlas V 24U-capacity launch opportunity for education customers.
“Tyvak is thrilled to have been selected for this opportunity with a world-class launch provider like ULA,” said Tyvak President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Previte. “This MOU brings key opportunities to Tyvak and to the entire nanosatellite community.”
“As America’s ride to space, ULA is transforming rideshares so that customers will now have predictable manifest slots for their payloads,” said Tory Bruno, ULA president and CEO. “We are driving innovations like this program which will make space more affordable and accessible for all manner and size of payload customers.”
About Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems:
Terran Orbital is a leading aerospace provider of nanosatellite and microsatellite vehicles, services, and solutions. Terran Orbital invests in leading edge, solutions for customers focused on achieving world-class space-based research, observation, and communications at a fraction of the cost of traditional spacecraft developers. Through our Tyvak and Tyvak International brands, based in the U.S. and Europe, Terran Orbital partners with customers to produce advanced mission solutions at industry leading turn-times and price-points. Visit TerranOrbital.com for more information.
About United Launch Alliance:
With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the nation’s most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered more than 95 satellites to orbit that provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, enable personal device-based GPS navigation and unlock the mysteries of our solar system. For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com. Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch, and instagram.com/ulalaunch.
