{"241271":{"#nid":"241271","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Generation Orbit Awarded NASA Contract for Launch of GOLauncher 2","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute Industry Partner Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) has been selected to launch a group of three 3U CubeSats to a 425 km orbit under NASA\u2019s Enabling eXploration and Technology (NEXT) contract. Under this competitively awarded, $2.1M commercial procurement, NASA will become the inaugural customer for the company\u2019s new GOLauncher 2 vehicle, currently in development. The NEXT flight is scheduled to take place in 2016. NASA\u2019s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center will be responsible for program management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe GOLauncher 2 is a flexible air-launched system combining a business jet with expendable rocket stages. Generation Orbit\u2019s team of innovative small business partners includes SpaceWorks Enterprises Inc., Ventions LLC, Calspan Corporation, Tyvak Nano-satellite Systems LLC, and mv2space LLC. GO also has key strategic relationships with the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute. Cecil Field Spaceport in Jacksonville, Florida will serve as GO\u2019s initial base of operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a important step for the GO team,\u201d commented Dr. John Olds, Generation Orbit\u2019s co-founder and CEO. \u201cNASA has been pro-active on the spacecraft side of this emerging market for years. Their decision to buy the first flight of our GOLauncher 2 is not only an endorsement of our business model as a dedicated launch service provider, but simultaneously helps reduce risk for our subsequent customers and investors. We look forward to working with NASA LSP to make this launch successful, and we hope to count them amongst our key customers for years to come.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESmall satellites, including microsatellites, nanosatellites, and CubeSats, are the fastest growing segment of the spacecraft market. By 2020, the market for small satellite launch is projected to exceed 150 spacecraft per year. Currently, small spacecraft \u201chitchhike\u201d to space as secondary payloads aboard larger rockets, but this model introduces delays and constrains flexibility of launch, which is unacceptable to many commercial businesses. Dedicated launch services such as GOLauncher 2 hope to shift the paradigm toward small launchers for small satellites.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve built our business from the ground up to serve the small satellite market, and we are very pleased to have our first customer for GOLauncher 2,\u201d added Mr. A.J. Piplica, GO\u2019s Chief Operating Officer. \u201cWe look forward to providing a new, dedicated launch option for these small payloads, enabling them to accomplish new missions and greatly enhance their scientific, educational, and economic potential.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor additional details contact:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMr. A.J. Piplica\u003Cbr \/\u003E Chief Operating Officer\u003Cbr \/\u003E Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc.\u003Cbr \/\u003E 1040 Crown Pointe Parkway, Suite 950\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, GA 30338\u003Cbr \/\u003E (770) 379-8014\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:aj.piplica@generationorbit.com\u0022\u003Eaj.piplica@generationorbit.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta-based Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) focuses on providing fast, flexible, and dedicated space transportation services for small payloads. Generation Orbit\u2019s GOLauncher 1 and GOLauncher 2 will supply reliable and responsive access to suborbital and orbital destinations. Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. is a privately held U.S. corporation registered in Delaware.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information, visit GO on the web at \u003Ca title=\u0022www.generationorbit.com\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/www.generationorbit.com\/\u0022\u003Ewww.generationorbit.com\u003C\/a\u003E. Follow GO on Twitter \u003Ca title=\u0022@generationorbit.com\u0022 href=\u0022http:\/\/twitter.com\/generationorbit\u0022\u003E@generationorbit\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute Industry Partner wins major NASA contract.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute Industry Partner wins major NASA contract."}],"uid":"27857","created_gmt":"2013-09-30 17:32:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:00","author":"Tracy Heath","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-09-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-09-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"75231","name":"Generation Orbit"},{"id":"215","name":"manufacturing"},{"id":"408","name":"NASA"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}