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Orbital Sciences Selects Maxwell Technologies' Space Computer for NASA's 'Glory' Earth Sciences Satellite Mission

Posted on: Thursday, 28 July 2005, 18:00 CDT

SAN DIEGO, July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Maxwell Technologies Inc. announced today that Orbital Sciences Corp. has selected Maxwell's SCS750 single board computer (SBC) to manage payload data for NASA's Glory earth sciences mission.

Glory is a three-year mission that will investigate the composition of greenhouse gases and the effect of solar radiation on the earth's environment. Orbital is building the satellite bus and will manage the 2008 launch and control the spacecraft for the duration of the mission. Glory's payloads will include an aerosol polarimetry sensor and cloud cameras to collect visible and infrared data, and a total irradiance monitor to measure solar radiation.

Larry Longden, Maxwell's director of technology and marketing, said that the SCS750's industry-leading processing power will allow Orbital to manage all of the satellite's data management functions, and that Maxwell's proprietary component shielding technology and system-level architecture enable the SBC to withstand the effects of environmental radiation to provide error-free performance in space.

"The Maxwell SCS750 was the best fit for reliability, function, and cost for the Glory needs," said Tom Itchkawich, the Glory Program Director. "We feel that this will be an excellent processor solution that will give us the flexibility to accommodate future growth in mission requirements."

The SCS750 is based on a "triple modular redundancy" architecture in which three commercial IBM PowerPC 750(TM) processors run the same program at all times and "vote" on each operation. If one of the processors suffers a radiation-induced upset and disagrees with the other two, the system is automatically resynchronised and resumes error-free operation. Maxwell's proprietary shielding and packaging technology protect other components on the board from radiation effects.

About Orbital

Orbital develops and manufactures small space and rocket systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company's primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-orbit, geosynchronous and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds satellite-based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators. For more information, please visit Orbital's website at http://www.orbital.com/.

About Maxwell

Maxwell is a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative, cost-effective energy storage and power delivery solutions. Our radiation-mitigated microelectronic products include power modules, memory modules and single board computers that incorporate powerful commercial silicon for superior performance and high reliability in aerospace applications. Our BOOSTCAP(R) ultracapacitor cells and multi-cell modules and POWERCACHE(R) backup power systems provide safe and reliable power solutions for applications in consumer and industrial electronics, transportation and telecommunications. Our CONDIS(R) high-voltage grading and coupling capacitors help to ensure the safety and reliability of electric utility infrastructure and other applications involving transport, distribution and measurement of high-voltage electrical energy. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.maxwell.com/.

Forward-Looking Satements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and other expressions of management's belief or opinion that reflect its current understanding or belief with respect to such matters. Such statements and the company's business prospects in general are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including the fact that the company has a history of losses, may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability, and may not be able to obtain sufficient capital to meet customer demand or other corporate needs. Other risks and uncertainties involve development and acceptance of products based on new technologies, demand for original equipment manufacturers' products reaching anticipated levels, the impact of competitive products and pricing, general economic conditions in the markets served by the company's products, cost-effective manufacturing of new products, and risks and uncertainties involved in foreign operations, including the impact of currency fluctuations. We may also be subject to product liability or warranty claims in excess of our reserves. These and other risks are detailed from time-to-time in the company's SEC reports, including our report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2005, and our report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004. Actual results may differ materially from those projected. These forward-looking statements represent management's opinion and belief as of the date of this news release. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.

Maxwell Technologies Inc.

CONTACT: Michael Sund of Maxwell Technologies Inc., +1-858-503-3233

Web site: http://www.maxwell.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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