On Target

Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI), the producer of commercial off-the-shelf software for integrated analysis of land, sea, air and space assets, has announced its new partnership with Atmospheric and Environmental Research Inc. (AER), the provider of advanced science solutions for government and commercial applications. AER is developing the Space Environment and Effects Toolkit (SEET) for use with AGI’s STK software suite. SEET models the near-Earth space environment, its expected impact on space vehicles, and energetic particle flux and magnetic field distributions.

The toolkit is being created in part using code from Air Force Research Lab’s (AFRL’s) AF-GEOSPACE software program, which brings together many space environment models, applications and data visualization products developed by the AFRL and others in the space weather community. SEET will be released early next year.

“The Space Environment and Effects Toolkit (STK/SEET) is a specialized analysis module, which provides the capability to predict various effects of the ambient near-Earth environment on a space vehicle.

This functionality is provided by various SEET components consisting of scientific models of the space environment. These components are seamlessly integrated into AGI’s STK user interface,” Shannon Lynch, AGI technical alliance manager, told MSMF. STK/SEET was designed by leading space physicists and derived in part from the AF-GEOSpace code.

Lynch continued, “Impacts resulting from short- and long-term radiation damage effects, mean vehicle temperature due to solar and reflected Earth radiation, particle flux estimates, and transit times through the SAA are a few things a user can evaluate when using SEET. Additional capabilities include probabilistic small meteorite and space debris damage and the ability to model energetic particle flux and magnetic field distributions. Whether you’re performing trade studies, mission planning, satellite design, or evaluating the long-term impacts of the space environment on your spacecraft, AER’s Space Environment and Effects Toolkit for AGI software provides expert analysis tools.”

Stefanie Claypoole: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Licensing Agreement Announced

Brush Wellman Inc. entered into a licensing agreement with Mafco Inc. of Largo, Fla., to acquire corrosion protection coating technology as applied to beryllium materials.

The technology will be utilized on select beryllium metal and aluminum beryllium composite products manufactured by Brush Wellman’s Beryllium Products unit. The acquired Mafco technology includes anodization and chemical film coating.

“Protective and low emissivity coatings are often desirable for optical, structural and electronic applications for beryllium metal and aluminum beryllium composite products. These coatings provide a barrier to oxidation, which enhances performance, reliability and useful life,” read a Brush Wellman statement.

The Beryllium Products unit manufactures and markets beryllium metalbased products including AlBeMet for high performance defense, aerospace, medical, scientific and industrial applications.

Brush Wellman, the largest subsidiary of Brush Engineered Materials Inc. is the only fully integrated producer of beryllium, beryllium alloys and beryllia ceramic in the world.

Patrick Carpenter 216-383-5835

MDA Reports Flight Test Completion

Lieutenant General Henry Obering III, Missile Defense Agency director, announced the successful execution of an important flight test designed to collect data on a boosting long-range target missile by the Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) research satellite.

A modified Minuteman II booster vehicle with a simplified target payload was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and was successfully tracked by the orbiting NFIRE satellite. The NFIRE satellite has been in orbit since it was launched from NASA’s Wallops Island, Va., space launch facility on April 24, 2007.

This test provided an opportunity for the NFIRE satellite to collect high- and low-resolution images of a boosting rocket, which will improve understanding of missile exhaust plume observations and plumeto- rocket body discrimination. Data from the NFIRE satellite was downlinked to the Missile Defense Space Experimentation Center at the Missile Defense Integration & Operations Center at Schriever AFB, Colo.

SM-3 Intercept of Ballistic Missile Target

Vice Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, commander, U.S. Third Fleet, announced the successful Navy intercept of a ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean during Fleet Exercise Pacific Blitz. This was the first fleet operational firing to employ the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) against a ballistic missile target. Command and control of this mission resided with commander, U.S. Third Fleet, based in San Diego, Calif. Pearl Harbor-based Aegis destroyers USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) and USS Hopper (DDG 70), which have been upgraded to engage ballistic missiles, fired SM-3 missiles at separate targets. During this event, a short-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF). Upon detecting and tracking the target, USS Paul Hamilton launched an SM-3 missile, resulting in a direct-hit intercept. Following USS Paul Hamilton’s engagement, PMRF launched another target. USS Hopper successfully detected, tracked and engaged the target. The SM-3 followed a nominal trajectory; however, intercept was not achieved. Extensive analysis of the flight mission will be used to improve the deployed Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system. The Aegis BMD flight record is 16 of 19 intercepts.

Minotaur Vehicle

The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center placed an order for a Minotaur 4 launch vehicle from Orbital Sciences under the Orbital/ Suborbital Program-2 (OSP-2) contract, Orbital announced.

The Air Force will use the vehicle to launch a military technology demonstration payload in 2010. This contract supports the Conventional Prompt Global Strike Demonstration, Tina Greer, spokesperson, SMC Public Affairs, Media Relations, told MSMF. “The government will take delivery in fourth quarter calendar year 2010,” she added. The Air Force has procured 25 Minotaur launch vehicles since the inception of the program in 1997.

Tina Greer: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

* Compiled by KMI Media Group staff