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The US Navy is undertaking a bright star survey called the Joint Milliarcsecond Pathfinder Survey (JMAPS) mission. The survey will be carried out by a microsatellite containing a telescope set for launch in 2012. The JMAPS mission is intended to improve space situational awareness, in particular tracking space objects.
To build the telescope’s bus, the Navy is contracting with AeroAstro in Ashburn, VA. On March 25/10, the company received a $37.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to supply its low-jitter JMAPS spacecraft bus.
The bus will contain solar panels and will house the power, avionics, communications, thermal control, and inertial measurement units. The instrument/payload deck, which sits on top of the bus, will contain the optical telescope and electronics.
The JMAPS bus will be designed, built, and tested by AeroAstro, and will use the spacecraft conceptual design that was developed during Phase II of a small business innovative research (SBIR) effort.
This contract contains an option which, if exercised, would bring its value to $42.1 million. AeroAstro will perform the work in Ashburn, VA and expects to complete it in March 2012.
The contract was a competitive award under SBIR Phase III. The Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC manages the contracting (N000173-10-C-2012).