The overall program is to design, develop, launch, and operate a small low-cost spacecraft, called SmallTug, on a mission to the Lunar L1 point to demonstrate key technologies and advanced orbital mechanics in support of NASA's human and robotic exploration of the Moon and Mars.

"This project is important to us because it is SpaceDev's first opportunity to design a deep space vehicle, and because the overall cost of the complete mission is less than $20 million," said SpaceDev founding chairman and CEO, Jim Benson.

"I founded SpaceDev in 1997 to perform deep space science missions for $25 million or less, and this program with Andrews Space is a great opportunity to fulfill that dream. We are looking forward to working with the great team at Andrews Space on this revolutionary, low cost, deep space mission."

The new SpaceDev contract is approximately $1.25M for the first phase of a NASA Human and Robotic Technology Program with Andrews Space as the prime contractor, and SpaceDev as the primary subcontractor. The NASA contract will be managed by the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

During the first twelve-months of the contract, SpaceDev will work with Andrews Space to produce a preliminary design of a highly modular spacecraft bus and a plan for integrating new electric propulsion and new high performance solar power systems. SmallTug will carry sensors to take measurements of the radiation environment between the Earth and the Moon.

For the second phase of the contract, if awarded by NASA and Andrews, SpaceDev will be responsible for building, integrating and preparing SmallTug for a 2008 launch. The 100 kg (220 lb) spacecraft will be launched into Earth orbit as a secondary payload.

From there, the microsatellite will perform a one-year mission resulting in a halo orbit around the Lunar Lagrange L1 point, which is located at about 85 percent of the distance from Earth to the Moon.

"The development of this tiny, high performance, low-cost spacecraft will further demonstrate SpaceDev's modular and standardized hardware and software technologies, but this time in a deep space environment," said SpaceDev program manager Keith Beals.

"The successful combination of SpaceDev's deep space bus with advanced electro-propulsion and deep space navigation / communication systems will expand SpaceDev's capabilities."

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