USAF taps industry for space situational awareness satellite bus
Blue Canyon Technologies satellite bus. (Photo: Blue Canyon Technologies)
USAF aims to use small satellite bus beyond equatorial geosynchronous orbit.
California-based Blue Canyon Technologies is to work on satellite bus technology for the US Air Force Research Laboratory under the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Micro-Satellite Bus (AgileSAT) programme, the DoD announced on 22 November.
Blue Canyon will develop and demonstrate a small satellite bus that can ‘operate and manouevre effectively for up to three years in orbits beyond the geosynchronous equatorial orbit and has flexible support for a broad range of payloads’, the DoD noted.
Work on a $14.61 million contract is expected to be completed by 28 February 2023. The deal was awarded after a competitive process within the Small Business Innovative Research Program.
According to Blue Canyon, the company is building more than 90 spacecraft for government, commercial and academic missions.
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