Swales Aerospace announced today that it has completed the Critical Design Review (CDR), for the TacSat-3 Modular Bus program, which is sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicle Directorate (AFRL/VS), as part of the Department of Defense Operationally Responsive Space initiative.
The TacSat-3 CDR provided the Government with a thorough review of the detailed design of the TacSat-3 Modular Bus (TS3MB) and the company's progress toward meeting a mid 2007 bus delivery schedule.
This review, which was attended by AFRL personnel and representatives of several other government organizations, covered the bus design and analysis details, subsystem configuration and performance, and overall integration, quality assurance and test planning for the TS3MB. Mike Cerneck, CEO of Swales Aerospace commented, "I am pleased with what our team has accomplished within a short time from contract award in May 2006 to this CDR.
Swales TacSat-3 Modular Bus team, includes Interface and Control Systems, Inc. of Columbia, MD. The external reviewers were impressed by the level of detail that was presented and pleased to see the level of maturity in this modular bus design within the time constraints.
The TacSat-3 mission will demonstrate the ability of a tactical satellite to collect militarily useful data over a theatre of interest and provide that data direct to the war fighter in near real-time. The Operationally Responsive Space Modular Bus (ORSMB) program will demonstrate modular spacecraft bus standards, interfaces, and processes to meet the goals of the Department of Defense's Operationally Responsive Space initiative for rapid, low-cost space assets launched to support the needs of tactical war fighters.
Swales will complete bus critical design, fabrication and integration of the bus, and provide support to AFRL for spacecraft integration and test, launch and on orbit operations. AFRL/VS is leading the TacSat-3 mission development for a planned launch in October 2007.
Within the completion of this review, Swales is now proceeding to manufacturing the TacSat-3 Modular Bus. The rapid execution of the program from CDR to manufacturing will demonstrate the new Responsive Space paradigm.
