Millennium Space Systems concludes ALTAIR Pathfinder mission

Boeing unit Millennium Space Systems has completed the final phase of its ALTAIR Pathfinder satellite mission, which was deployed by a NanoRacks launcher last year as part of an International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission.

The company was operating the satellite from the ALTAIR mission operations centre at its headquarters in El Segundo, California, US.

Throughout its 548-day lifespan, the satellite provided more than 13,000 hours of performance data to help reduce technology risk.

The three-axis-controlled satellite successfully tested subsystems for data handling, radio frequency (RF) communications, power conditioning, and attitude determination and control.

It has used Millennium’s mission software and ground operations infrastructure, which will feature the company’s upcoming missions.

With the decommissioning, ALTAIR Pathfinder will naturally de-orbit from its current orbit.

Millennium Space Systems mission director Griffith Russell said: “ALTAIR Pathfinder has been a resilient and flexible satellite.

“Combining autonomous routine operations with ease of reprogramming for special opportunities, ALTAIR Pathfinder efficiently delivered significant technical performance data that will directly benefit our customers, stakeholders and Boeing’s space business.”

Developed over a 12-month period by Millennium, ALTAIR Pathfinder is an orbiting technology-proving mission to increase the level of technology readiness of ALTAIR small-satellite platforms.

ALTAIR Pathfinder is equipped with avionics, processor, flight and ground software, guidance, navigation and control components, 3D-printed structures, batteries, power switching and solar array deployment mechanisms developed by Millennium.

The satellite has enabled Millennium to conduct vital experiments with Kratos Federal Solutions Group.

Millennium is expected to launch the first operational ALTAIR satellites next year.