Improvements in Spacecraft Assembly, Integration and Test

As the scale, cost, and strategic importance of Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR), space-based sensor programs continue to increase, the need for efficiency in the Assembly, Integration and Test (AI & T) phase of production becomes paramount to mission success. Historically, AI & T periods for large-scale programs such as the Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) comprise a significant component to the overall cost and duration of the procurement effort. New technologies to overcome critical inefficiencies in the AI & T process are essential to reducing the timeline, resources, and cost for that phase of OPIR programs. Frontier Technology Inc."s (FTI) Phase II approach will use our innovative Extensible, Load Adaptive Processing System (ELAPS) software as a foundation for the objective of improving the efficiency of the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) AI & T efforts for OPIR sensors. FTI has established relationships with MDA's STSS and PTSS (Precision Tracking Surveillance System) programs and will use the technology created under this effort within the Missile Defense Space Development Center (MDSDC) to demonstrate immediate value to these important MDA programs.