MSCI Wins Contract to Provide Reaction Wheels to NASA’s LADEE Program

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, May 21 /PRNewswire/ – Microsat Systems Canada Inc. (MSCI), formerly the Space Division of Dynacon Inc., announced today that the company has won a contract with the NASA Ames Research Center to provide engineering model Reaction Wheels for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission.

The main objective of NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission will be to orbit the Moon and characterize the atmosphere and lunar dust environment.

LADEE implements an early priority of the National Research Council’s report, The Scientific Context for the Exploration of the Moon (NRC, 2007), namely to “determine the global density, composition, and time variability of the fragile lunar atmosphere before it is perturbed by further human activity.”

LADEE will have a mass about 130 kg and will be launched together with the JPL-led GRAIL mission on a Delta-II launch vehicle, scheduled for 2011.

In addition to the scientific objectives, the mission will be testing a new spacecraft architecture called the ‘Modular Common Bus’ — which is being developed by NASA as a flexible, low cost, rapid turnaround spacecraft for both orbiting and landing on the Moon and other deep space targets. It is hoped that such a capability will enable the Agency to perform future scientific missions at a reduced cost.

LADEE is currently in the study phase and the MSCI Reaction Wheels will be used in the ACDS hardware-in-the-loop simulator. The MSCI Reaction Wheels will function as full flight models in the simulator.

“We are thrilled to be participating in this program,” says David R. Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, MSCI, “and look forward to continuing our relationship with NASA which started 7 years ago with the ChipSat program.”

About MSCI

MSCI is Canada’s leader in the design, development and delivery of cost-effective, adaptable Multi Mission Microsatellite Buses capable of hosting a wide variety of remote sensing, communications, scientific and military payloads. MSCI also has proven capabilities in systems engineering analysis, the development of sophisticated, cost-effective attitude control systems solutions and their implementation into flight hardware and software.

Formerly the Space Division of Dynacon Inc., MSCI has been the premiere builder of microsatellites in Canada for over a decade. MSCI provides military and civil space agencies, as well as commercial markets, with space technology that enables space exploration and surveillance of Earth from space and other services for commercial applications. Additional information about MSCI can be found at www.mscinc.ca.

For more information, please contact:

    Justin Phillips
    Media Relations
    HiPoint Marketing Inc.
    905-513-1177 x.4440
    jphillips@hipointmarketing.com

SOURCE Microsat Systems Canada Inc.