"OTB began an exciting chapter for GA-EMS as this was the first launch of our GA-150 spacecraft hosting multiple payloads on a single satellite to simultaneously demonstrate new technologies and accelerate innovations for space exploration," said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. "As the OTB mission winds down, we are extremely proud of our team and the role the satellite has played in demonstrating and space-qualifying each customer's payload and technology."
The OTB platform was designed to accommodate various payloads, among them NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate's Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC). Built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, DSAC was developed to enhance autonomous deep space navigation. The mission effectively confirmed the clock's precision and durability, offering a new avenue for spacecraft to chart their course without constant Earth-based communication.
"After the DSAC mission concluded, GA-EMS continued flying the spacecraft allowing us to continue receiving valuable telemetry data and performance information from the spacecraft to assist with numerous projects, including other GA-150 satellite programs on-orbit and those scheduled for future launch," said Gregg Burgess, vice president of GA-EMS Space Systems. "OTB was an important knowledge and training resource for our team as the spacecraft met all its lifetime goals and objectives in an operationally challenging inclination and altitude, performing well above expectations."
Beyond DSAC, OTB carried several other payloads: a Modular Solar Array created for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL); an Integrated Miniaturized Electrostatic Analyzer built by U.S. Air Force Academy cadets; the RadMon radiation monitoring system; the FlexRX software-defined radio receiver; and over 150 Celestis-provided cremains.
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