Posted on 03/29/2006 3:52:57 PM PST by KevinDavis
POWAY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2006--SpaceDev (OTCBB: SPDV - News) has been awarded a $1.25 million contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate, for the preliminary design of a nanosatellite capable of independently providing localized Space Situational Awareness of the local space environment of a host satellite. SpaceDev's design for the satellite, otherwise known as an Autonomous NanoSatellite Guardian for Evaluating Local Space (ANGELS), includes the satellite hardware assembly, detailed design schematics, software and flight algorithms, operations manuals, testing plans, and interface control documents.
(Excerpt) Read more at biz.yahoo.com ...
Sounds like someone has been reading too many Dale Brown novels; remember the NIRTS (Need It Right This Second Satellite...)??
Interesting concept.
Anyone know how big a nanosatellite is?
Compact car?
Basketball?
Golf Ball?
Marble?
Only problem I can see is, if these are inexpensive enough and there is no provision for recovery and/or eventual orbit decay, there might be a long-term problem with accumulating more space junk, potentially endangering larger (and more expensive) satellites.
Maybe they will have a self-destruct capability or will eventually fall harmlessly back to earth and burn up...
Anymouse,
I did not know about the rule.. Will keep that in mind..
anymouse's remarks got me hunting for any kind of online chart. Couldn't find one. This was amusing though:
http://www.spaceinvestor.com/
"The owner of spaceinvestor.com is offering it for sale for an asking price of 9,800 $US."
LOL!
The cached version of the page I found originally had user posts from early *this* month. :'o The symbol for SpaceDev itself has changed as it has slipped off one ticker onto another.
Yep, the ol' pump and dump scheme. :)
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