"We are particularly pleased to be associated with Astro Research and its superb group. This memo of understanding is of great importance to OSSS in that it expands our global presence," said Dale Richards, President of OSSS, who noted that OSSS has an interest in Astro Research's propulsion technology for future OSSS missions.

Astro's propulsion system can be used to maneuver an OSSS satellite while in orbit. The team has combined to submit a proposal to a potential customer that would use a series of OSSS satellites with propulsion capability.

Richards also added "Astro Research has arranged meetings for OSSS management with a number of potential clients from both the commercial and university sectors in Japan and Asia. In addition, Japan's NASDA, which is equivalent to the United States' NASA, has expressed an interest in an OSSS multi-payload adaptor to fly Japanese University projects."

OSSS is a four-year old company that has commercialized the technology under development for 15 years at the Center for Aerospace Technology (CAST) at Weber State University. OSSS' mission is to provide its customers with lower cost, high-quality small satellites for more effective access to space.

OSSS and CAST have successfully designed, engineered and manufactured eight low earth orbit (LEO) satellites in the 100 to 500 pound class. OSSS' patented and proprietary technology provides attitude control that is more precise and less complex to operate than any other small satellite system on the market. Additional patents are pending that will allow this technology to be utilized in other control applications.

The company recently announced a memo of understanding with International Space Company (ISC) Kosmotras, of Moscow, Russia, and Thiokol Propulsion of Brigham City, Utah, that will allow OSSS specific launch capabilities for its small satellite payloads, thereby enabling OSSS to provide cost-efficient small satellite services for universities and other commercial clients that might otherwise find costs prohibitive.

ISC Kosmotras, established in 1997 by the national space agencies of Russia and the Ukraine for the development and commercial operation of the Dnepr Space Launch System, which is based on SS-18 ICBM technology, will provide relatively inexpensive launch opportunities using these vehicles. OSSS will provide management and integration of small satellites into a single payload module utilizing the OSSS multi-payload adaptor.

Thiokol Propulsion, a business unit of Alcoa, Inc., which has been the nation's leading supplier of solid rocket propulsion systems for space launch vehicles since the inception of manned space flight, will provide the organizational and legal support for the joint program as a marketing agent of ISC Kosmotras.

The first launch is scheduled for the fall of 2001, with additional launches expected from 2002 through 2007.

OSSS demonstrated its satellite design and manufacturing capability in January of this year with the successful launch of a multi-use group of satellites aboard a decommissioned U.S. Minuteman Missile, called a Minotaur launch vehicle.

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