The U.S. Air Force has awarded an $8.4 million contract to Irvine-based Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc. to support the Precise flight experiment projected for launch in 2024.
The Precise flight experiment represents a new orbital regime for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in very low Earth orbit, according to a statement sent by Tyvak’s parent company, Terran Orbital.
Tyvak will be providing AFRL a spacecraft capable of maneuvering between low Earth orbit and very low Earth orbit for conducting sensor payload measurements, the statement said.
The results could be used in the future to mitigate natural ionospheric impacts to warfighter systems such as satellite communications and GPS, Rachel Hock-Mysliwiec, the Precise program manager, said in the statement.
