AMERICOM Government Services To Host U.S. Air Force Payload

MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Satellite solutions provider AMERICOM Government Services (AGS) announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force to host an experimental sensor on board a commercial spacecraft. The three year $65 million firm fixed price contract was signed on June 30th with the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) in Los Angeles, CA. AGS will host the experimental sensor on board an SES AMERICOM spacecraft scheduled to launch in 2010 and operate over the United States. The program is known as the Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP) Flight Demonstration Program. The primary purpose of the CHIRP experiment is to test a new type of infrared sensor from geo-synchronous altitude. The passive infrared sensor will be integrated onto a commercial satellite so that it... [read full story]