NASA has chosen Herndon, Virginia-based Fibertek to design, produce, experiment and supply laser systems, which will be utilized for the NASA’s Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission.
The ICESat-2 space mission is slated for launch in 2016. The project is being managed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center located in Greenbelt, Maryland. The deal’s total expected value is $26,083,242, which includes the award fee and cost of the project. The schedule of performance is from the award date to launch date and 38 months.
As per the deal, Fibertek will deliver one test laser and four spaceflight lasers for the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System of the ICESat-2 Observatory. The spaceflight laser systems feature flight software, thermal control, wire harnessing, material, electrical, mechanical, optical, support and flight firmware instruments. The development of the laser systems will take place at Fibertek’s facility.
ICESat observatories’ second generation is the ICESat-2. Accurate laser-ranging technologies will be used by ICESat-2 to analyze the thickness properties of Antarctic and Arctic sea ice, and the topography of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. The ICESat-2 endorses the Earth Science program of the NASA as it assists researchers to know the Earth system in a better way.