International, Inc. (CSI) is collaborating with Space Systems Loral
(SS/L) to pursue a funded Space Act Agreement with NASA's Commercial
Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. The two companies are
working together, with SS/L as the prime, to produce a commercial
cargo system to re-supply NASA's International Space Station (ISS),
and to create new commercial space services and applications.
Charles Miller, CSI's Chief Executive Officer stated "CSI is pleased
to announce that Space Systems/Loral has baselined our space
transportation intermodal approach for the current COTS competition.
We are very excited by this relationship". Bill Nations, SS/L Vice
President added, "SS/L is the market leader in the GEO commercial
satellite business and CSI has a unique, patented system for
delivering cargo to the ISS. Together we bring NASA a flexible,
low-cost solution based on highly
reliable existing technology and a commercial business approach."
The SS/L version of CSI's LEO ExpressSM cargo system uses the SS/L
1300 satellite bus as a tug, while retaining most of the original
intermodal spacetug advantages. SS/L is currently the world leader in
commercial GEO comsats with 40% of the world market for satellites of
8 kW or higher.
Forty-eight spacecraft based on the SS/L 1300 satellite bus are
currently operating on orbit, four are awaiting launch and fourteen
more are in production. SS/L has also produced 129 Orbital Replacement
Units for the ISS to date, including Batteries, Battery
Charge/Discharge Units and Sequential Shunt Units.
According to Miller, "Because of recent problems with generating
private capital for ISS cargo servicing projects, the question on
everybody's mind now is `Can any company really raise all the money
needed to complete a high-risk commercial space project in partnership
with NASA?'" Miller continued "As a well-established company that is
known for its technical and commercial excellence as well as its
entrepreneurial approach, Loral is probably better positioned to
achieve the COTS goals than any other bidder in the competition."
SS/L publicly announced the details of its COTS proposal at the Space
Investment Summit 3 on December 6th in San Jose, California. SS/L
distributed a "SS/L COTS Fact Sheet" that summarized the SS/L COTS
concept, and which can be found at
http://www.constellationservices.com.
Tom Moser, CSI's Vice President for Government Programs and a former
NASA Space Station program director stated "Space Systems/Loral is
trusted and respected in the commercial space industry, and has been
involved in several successful NASA programs. SS/L provided eight GOES
weather satellites and was awarded the Goddard Contractor Excellence
Award in the process".
Moser continued "Tommy Holloway, another former NASA Space Station
program manager, recently testified to Congress that `If a proven
logistics support system is not available, I would commit to the
future capability that is determined by engineering analysis to have
the highest chance of success'.
Based on sound engineering and business analysis, SS/L probably has
the highest chance of success among all of the current COTS
competitors."
Constellation Services International, Inc. is an entrepreneurial
orbital spaceflight services company that is focused on commercial
opportunities in Earth orbit. CSI has raised over two million dollars
in private investment, and has received over three million dollars
from three NASA contracts to further develop the patented LEO
ExpressSM Space Cargo System, including its role as prime contractor
for
the NASA Alternate Access to Space program (AAS). The LEO ExpressSM
Space Cargo System completed a NASA System Design Review in July 2003.
NASA's AAS program concluded "CSI provided convincing evidence that
both designs were feasible."
For more information on CSI or CSI's LEO ExpressSM Space Cargo
Service, visit
http://www.constellationservices.com.
"LEO Express" is a trademark and service mark of Constellation
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