Washington, DC Jan. 31, 1998 - Shortages of solar cells for small satellites are threatening the stable delivery of satellites in the future, and should be addressed by the U.S. commercial space industry, according to W. David Thompson, head of one of the major suppliers of small satellite spacecraft in the U.S.
As President of Spectrum Astro of Gilbert, Arizona, Thompson has overseen
dynamic growth in U.S. manufacturing of smaller satellites since his firm
was founded in 1988. "We are sort of the Timex of the small satellite
business," Thompson remarked. "We are competing against 'brand X'"- the big
boys." While he declined to tell SpaceCast who "brand X" was, it was likely
these included firms such as Lockheed Martin and Space Systems Loral.
But unlike the big firms in the small spacecraft industry, Thompson has led
Spectrum Astro with a business model built primarily on U.S. government
space business - civil space (NASA) and national security space (Air Force,
NRO and BMDO). However, that mixture was likely to soon change, Thompson
predicted. Spectrum Astro, like the competition, would also be pursuing
commercial space business in the small satellite field. Leading to explosive financial growth, Thompson predicted.
"Spectrum Astro is headed towards the $100 million class soon," Thompson
said. From an estimated $30 million in revenues in 1997, the company
anticipated topping $58 million in 1998. By 1999, the amount should exceed
$115 million, and by the year 2000 $200 million. "We can expect to reach
$275 million by 2001", he claimed. Ground would soon be broken, Thompson
predicted, on a 207,000 square foot office and lab complex in Gilbert.
Furthermore, while NASA and the Air Force has been the foundation of their business, Spectrum would eventually see a business structure evenly divided at 25% each for Air Force, NASA, commercial space, and classified small satellite systems contracts. Thompson, a strong past critic of such military space launch programs as Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), has now
changed course, due to the recent policy decision to move the EELV program
into a commercial launch systems procurement. "I've become a convert," Thompson joked. Why? "Because EELV will be a positive force for the industry now."
Spectrum's next small satellite launch is the NASA Deep Space 1 project,
currently undergoing testing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
Calif. The first of the NASA 'New Millennium" smallsats, Deep Space 1 is
set for a July, 1998 launch. Other projects include the Air Force Mightysat
satellites, the MSTI 1, 2, and 3 spacecraft for the Ballistic Missile
Defense Organization (BMDO), and development of new Xenon Ion rocket
thrusters. Thompson addressed a luncheon speech Tuesday at the Washington
Space Business Roundtable in Washington, DC, an industry business group.
Spectrum Astro
Orbital to launch student satellite
Dulles Va., - January 30, 1998 - 
