Able Press Releases

ABLE Engineering Appoints Mr. Mark De Witt as General Manager 10/30/2000

ABLE Delivers Triana Boom 9/22/2000

Six ABLE antennas successfully deployed on board NASA's IMAGE Spacecraft 5/26/2000

ABLE Magnetometer Boom Deploys Perfectly Aboard Cassini 8/16/1999

PSI Acquires AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. 8/11/1999

1999 ABLE Solar Array Division Highlights 7/23/1999

ABLE Solar Arrays for Mars 2001 Lander Exhibit Amazing Features 7/7/1999

ABLE to Provide Solar Arrays for Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander 5/7/1999

Scarlet™ Solar Arrays Demonstrated During DS1 Mission 4/1/1999

1998 ABLE Solar Array Division Highlights 11/11/1998

ABLE Three-Boom System for Lunar Prospector Successful 2/27/1998

ABLE Continues Flawless Flight heritage on Mars Pathfinder 7/7/1998

ABLE Ready to Build Longest Space Structure 5/29/1997

ABLE Uses Commercial Cable Management on SRTM Mast 5/29/1997

PUMA™ Solar Array Selected to Power GPS IIF Spacecraft 7/22/1996

ABLE Qualifies Space Station Joint Design 5/11/1995

ABLE Completes Qualification Mast for Space Station Solar Arrays 11/7/1994

UARS Deployed from Shuttle 9/20/1994

Astronauts Assemble MODEs "Erector Set" Mast Onboard Shuttle 9/20/1991

Media Contact:
Bryce Hallowell
Phone: 952-351-3087
E-mail: bryce.hallowell@atk.com

Investor Contact
Steve Wold
Phone: 952-351-3056
E-mail: steve_wold@atk.com

ACQUISITION POSITIONS ATK FOR CONTINUED GROWTH

Minneapolis, July 12, 2004 - ATK (NYSE: ATK) has agreed in principle to acquire the PSI Group, which includes Pressure Systems Inc., Programmed Composites Inc., and Able Engineering Company, Inc. PSI Group is the nation’s leading manufacturer of satellite components and propellant tanks. PSI provides mission-critical components for the emerging needs of the U.S. military, including next-generation global positioning, navigation and communication satellites. The acquisition will strengthen ATK’s core space-based capabilities by increasing the company’s content on missions, thereby expanding market opportunities.

Pending federal regulatory review and approval, the acquisition, which will be accretive to earnings, is expected to close in mid-August.

Headquartered in Commerce Calif., PSI has annual revenues of approximately $100 million and employs 350 people. With its focus on state-of-the art technologies, PSI will join ATK’s Advanced Propulsion and Space Systems (APSS) group. Don Shaffer, group vice president, APSS, said PSI’s capabilities strengthen the company’s portfolio as a system level integrator for satellite structures and other spacecraft.

“The acquisition enhances our ability to provide the most advanced space systems in the world,” said Shaffer. “Combined with ATK’s existing composite and propulsion technologies, we are well positioned to capture emerging opportunities in spacecraft integration and satellite technology.”

PSI is the world’s largest provider of pressure tanks for satellites and launch vehicles. It is also a leader in the development of deployable, telescoping booms for launch and recovery of space hardware. Its solar array substrate capability, unmatched in the industry, is critical to power generation throughout a spacecraft’s life. In addition, PSI is an industry leader in manufacturing composite satellite bus structures, panels, and reflectors for space-based applications. New York-based Windward Capital Partners is the majority owner of the PSI Group.

ATK is a $2.4 billion advanced weapons and space systems company employing 13,100 people in 23 states. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com.

Monday, July 5th, 2004

Goleta, CA - ABLE Engineering Company (ABLE) is pleased to announce the successful demonstration of its 10-m deployable Solar Sail System. This revolutionary propulsion technology has been designed to enhance a variety of space science missions.

Over the past ten months the 1/4-symmetry deployable sail system was built and tested under a 30-month NASA ISP sponsorship. The system incorporates coilable mast and sail membrane technology, solar arrays, launch tie-down and release mechanisms, and attitude control actuators. The design demonstrates structural robustness, determinate sail shape and most importantly - minimizes overall mass and volume.

This achievement has paved the way for next years 20-m full Solar Sail System, which will be tested in NASA's 100-ft-diameter thermal vacuum chamber facility. The completed tests were led by ABLE and performed with the assistance of the sail assembly provider (Systems Technology Group of SRS Technologies), the sail shape modeling (Langley Research Center), and the materials characterization and life evaluation (MSFC).

ABLE Engineering Company, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pressure Systems Group, Inc (PSI). The PSI family of companies consist of three dedicated space components and subsystems suppliers including PSI, the leading independent designer and manufacturer of titanium propellant and pressurant tanks for the space industry, PCI, the leading producer of advanced structural composite assemblies for spacecraft, and ABLE who is the major supplier of space deployable structures, spacecraft mechanisms, and solar array systems. The principal owner of PSI Group, Windward Capital Partners, is a privately owned, New York based investment firm.

PSI

Tuesday, January 7, 2003

Commerce, CA _ Pressure Systems, Inc. (PSI) announces the promotions of six key executives:

Mr. Tom Divird, formerly CEO has been appointed Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Pressure Systems, Inc.

Mr. Jim Wehri, formerly Chief Operating Officer, has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of Pressure Systems, Inc. assuming overall responsibilities of the day-to-day business activities of all PSI Divisions.

Mr. Eric Dickelman, formerly Chief Financial Officer, is appointed Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PSI, Inc.

Mr. Mark DeWitt, formerly General Manager of ABLE Engineering, is promoted to Vice President and General Manager of ABLE Engineering Co., Inc.

Mr. Chris McCauley, formerly General Manager of Programmed Composites, is promoted to Vice President and General Manager of Programmed Composites, Inc.

Mr. Gary Kawahara, formerly General Manager of Pressure Systems Division, is promoted to Vice President and General Manager of Pressure Systems Division.

Pressure Systems, Inc. is comprised of three (3) operating companies that supply satellite and launch vehicle components and subsystems: Pressure Systems (PSI), Programmed Composites (PCI) and ABLE Engineering provide propulsion tanks, composite spacecraft structures, space deployable stable structures and solar array systems. The majority stockholder of PSI, Windward Capital Partners, is a privately owned New York based investment firm.

Monday, October 30, 2000

Goleta, CA --- ABLE Engineering is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mark DeWitt to the position of General Manger. Mr. DeWitt will report to Mr. Jim Wehri, Chief Operating Officer of Pressure Systems, Inc (PSI), Able’s parent company. Mr. DeWitt will have full P&L responsibility for overseeing all of Able’s operations, including strategic planning, business development, and operational performance.

Prior to joining Able, Mr. DeWitt held the position of Vice President and General Manager of TECSTAR Inc., Applied Solar Division, a world leader in the manufacture of Space Photovoltaic Power Systems. Prior to TECSTAR, Mr. DeWitt held project, program, and technical team management positions with Rockwell International at both their Canoga Park, CA and Seal Beach, CA operations.

"With his extensive 23 years space industry experience coupled with his technical and management competence, Mark is an outstanding addition to the ABLE team who will provide leadership to meet customer and industry needs", said Mr. Wehri.

ABLE is a supplier of solar array systems, ultra-stable and precise deployable platforms, and numerous unique mechanisms for space applications. The company is known in the space industry for its innovative technical solutions to extremely challenging applications, including the design and manufacture of the precisely deploying 200 ft antenna mast from the Space Shuttle during the SRTM mission.

ABLE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pressure Systems, Inc. The PSI family of companies consists of 4 dedicated space components and subsystems suppliers. These include PSI, the leading independent designer and manufacturer of titanium propellant and pressurant tanks for the space industry, Programmed Composites Inc. (PCI), the leading producer of advanced structural composite assemblies for spacecraft, Dynatherm Corporation Inc. (DCI), a top supplier of spacecraft thermal management components and subsystems, and ABLE. PSI is a privately held company and the majority shareholder is Windward Capital Partners, a privately owned, New York based investment firm.

Friday, September 22, 2000

Goleta, CA - AEC Able Engineering Company (ABLE) delivered the 11 foot CoilABLE Boom for the NASA Triana Spacecraft. The boom will support 2 instruments on board the Triana spacecraft, being built by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and scheduled for launch in Spring of 2002. Triana will be the first spacecraft to provide around-the-clock sunlit views of the full-disk earth from it’s L-1 Orbit one million miles from earth accessible to all computers through the internet, while providing valuable scientific data on both the Earth’s climate and how solar radiation affects it.

The Triana Spacecraft, named after Rogrido de Triana, the first lookout on board Columbus’ ship to spot the new world, is a 1,250 Lb spacecraft that will carry 3 major scientific instruments. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego is leading the Triana mission’s science, and is having the instruments built. The Scripps-NISTAR instrument, is a high accuracy set of three radiometers that will measure the amount of the Sun’s energy that the Earth absorbs, re-emits, and reflects. The Scripps-EPIC instrument is a ten channel imaging spectrometer that will measure the atmospheric ozone and aerosols, land and ocean surface changes, and cloud characteristics. The Plas-Mag instrument complement consists of a magnetometer, Faraday Cup, and an electron spectrometer that will measure solar wind and magnetic characteristics. It will also provide an early warning for solar events storms that could damage satellites. The ABLE boom will support the components of the Plas-Mag instrument.

The CoilABLE boom stores in a cylindrical canister only 7 inches high on board the spacecraft during ascent and orbit insertion, and deploys to 136 inches ( over 11 feet) when Triana reaches its L-1 Orbit. It will remain in its stable, extended position for the duration of the 2 to 5 year Triana mission and provide the stable nonmagnetic platform away from the spacecraft for the sensitive magnetometer that will precisely map the magnetic field in the area and the Electron Spectrometer instrument that will measure the solar wind. The instruments mounted on the boom will enable scientists to better understand the characteristics of the solar wind and magnetic fields, as well as provide an early warning of solar storms.

Similar ABLE deployable booms have flown on board NASA missions for 25 years, including Galileo, Cassini, Lunar Prospector, Mars Pathfinder, GGS, and many others. ABLE designs and fabricates several boom designs, including 100 ft long booms to support the Space Station solar arrays and the 200 ft long Shuttle Radar Topography Mission mast that flew on board the STS-99 Shuttle Earth mapping flight in February 2000.

AEC Able Engineering Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pressure Systems, Inc (PSI). The PSI family of companies consist of 4 dedicated space components and subsystems suppliers, and includes PSI, the leading independent designer and manufacturer of titanium propellant and pressurant tanks for the space industry, PCI, the leading producer of advanced structural composite assemblies for spacecraft, DCI , a top supplier of spacecraft thermal management components and subsystems, and AEC Able, the major supplier of space deployable structures, spacecraft mechanisms, and solar array systems. The principal owner of PSI, Windward Capital Partners, is a privately owned, New York based investment firm.

May 26, 2000

Six deployable antennas built by AEC Able Engineering Company (ABLE) of Goleta, CA for NASA's Imager for Magnetopause-to-Auroral Global Exploration (IMAGE) spacecraft have fully deployed and are ready for the 2 year mission to continually study the Earth's magnetic field.

The octagon shaped IMAGE spacecraft measures 7.4 ft in diameter by 4.9 ft in height with the antennas retracted, and weights 1,089 lbs. On board, and extending from the top and bottom of the spacecraft, are 2 ABLE CoilABLETM Booms, each 33 feet long when fully deployed. Four additional ABLE wire deployers, each deploying 820 ft of antenna wire in the spin plane radially from four sides of the spacecraft, complete the antenna system for the Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) antenna system. The IMAGE spacecraft spins at 0.5 RPM thus creating centrifugal forces to tension the deployed wires. The deployed size of the spacecraft and antenna combination, 66 ft tall by 1647 ft tip-to-tip (182 ft longer than the height of the Empire State Building), make the IMAGE spacecraft among the largest deployed systems ever in space.

The IMAGE spacecraft, carrying several scientific payloads including the RPI, will allow scientists to study the global response of Earth's magnetosphere to changes in the solar wind over a 2 year minimum mission. The RPI instrument is like a radar designed to map the earth's magnetic field. The goal of the mission is to help researchers better understand and predict magnetic storms, which can affect space systems, power grids and communications. The spacecraft mission was selected in 1996 as NASA's first Medium-class Explorer Missions (MIDEX), with Southwest Research Institute of San Antonio, Texas having overall spacecraft and mission responsibility for the Goddard Space Flight Center mission. Able provided the 6 deployable antennas under a contract to the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the lead institute for the RPI. The spacecraft was built and tested by Lockheed Martin, Sunnyvale, CA. IMAGE was launched aboard a Delta II launcher from Vandenberg AFB, CA on March 25th, 2000. The spacecraft was placed in a 1000 km by 46,000 km orbit, with an inclination of 90 deg and a 14.5 hr period.

For further information, contact:
Gary Heinemann , AEC Able Engineering Company
Tel: (805) 685-2262
E-mail: gheinemann@aec-able.com

Monday, August 16, 1999

Goleta, CA—AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) continues its 100% on-orbit success rate with the flawless deployment of the 32.5 foot long Magnetometer Boom aboard the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Cassini spacecraft. The boom deployed shortly after midnight on August 16, 1999, the 670th day of its voyage to Saturn. "All of ABLE's booms have performed well on-orbit, but this one went the longest in flight before deploying. We are especially pleased with this success," said Ray Garza, ABLE Program Manager.

The boom system for Cassini consists of a two-segment CoilABLE™ lattice boom. The segments are connected end-to-end with a rigid midsection assembly containing a magnetometer. A second magnetometer is mounted at the boom's tip. The segments were sequentially deployed using a 3/8-inch stainless steel lanyard. The boom is made of mostly fiberglass rods, utilizing CoilABLE™ technology. Each boom segment stows into compact volume that is six inches high and 13 inches in diameter. When fully deployed, each boom segment measures 15.7 feet long. Even though each boom segment weighs 5.8 pounds, the system provides the strength, stiffness and repeatability essential for the magnetometer instruments to operate correctly.

As one of the key scientific experiments aboard Cassini, the magnetometer instruments will investigate the complex magnetic environment surrounding Saturn, its rings, and satellites. ABLE's boom provides the dimensional accuracy essential to record accurate data. Every component of the boom has extremely low magnetic remanence to prevent interference with the experiment's sensing equipment. The boom provides a stable base from which the magnetometers can measure the intensity and spatial characteristics of magnetic fields.

This hardware is very similar to the deployable magnetometer boom ABLE provided to JPL for the Galileo spacecraft, launched in 1989, which is still investigating Jupiter and its moons. ABLE is also currently working on similar Magnetometer Booms under contract to Hughes Space and Communications for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites GOES N and GOES O.

ABLE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pressure Systems Inc., has engineered, built and tested space-flight products for over 20 years. The ABLE team leads the space industry in providing innovative, mission critical hardware with a 100% on-orbit success rate.

Wednesday, August 11, 1999

City of Commerce, CA—AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE), a world leader in the design and manufacture of deployable booms, masts and antennas plus a full line of solar arrays, has been acquired by Pressure Systems, Inc. (PSI). PSI and ABLE are a good match because of their combined innovative designs and 100% on-orbit success record of product quality.

ABLE will continue operations in its current facilities in Goleta, California, doing business as ABLE Engineering, Inc., a Division of Pressure Systems, Inc. Mr. Max D. Benton, PE, President of ABLE and co-founder with Robert F. Crawford, will continue in his role as President. "The ABLE Team is excited about working closely with its sister divisions in the PSI Group to provide a broader range of integrated products for the space industry", said Benton.

PSI is the leading independent designer and manufacturer of titanium propellant and pressurant tanks for the space industry. The PSI group also includes Programmed Composites Inc., Anaheim, California, a leading producer of advanced components and structural assemblies for spacecraft, and Dynatherm Corporation Inc., Hunt Valley, Maryland, a top supplier of space-related heat pipes and thermal management systems.

Mr. Alex Roberts, President and CEO of PSI, said, "We are pleased with the addition of ABLE to the PSI Group. We look forward to supporting the continued growth of ABLE and expanding its operations in the Goleta area." Roberts also indicated that PSI would be seeking further acquisition opportunities in the spacecraft components industry. The principal owner of PSI, Windward Capital Partners, is a privately owned, New York based investment firm whose limited partners include Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Credit Suisse First Boston.

July 23, 1999

Goleta, CA— AEC-Able Engineering Company Inc. (ABLE) achieved several milestones in 1999, especially in the Solar Array Systems Division. The first Scarlet™ solar array successfully flew aboard Deep Space1(DS1) and initial assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) began in orbit around Earth. ABLE started two new programs and continued work on the solar arrays for the Block 2F Global Positioning Satellites.

The Scarlet™ solar arrays aboard the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory DS1 spacecraft represent the most advanced solar array technology demonstrated to date. By using a patented refractive Fresnel lens system, which concentrates sunlight onto the solar cells, Scarlet™ provided high power performance at a fraction of the standard cost.

The Scarlet™ arrays successfully powered DS1's ion engine, enabling propulsion with ten times more thrust than a conventional engine for a given amount of fuel. During the mission, telemetry indicated power output reached approximately 2,521 Watts, slightly in excess of pre-flight predictions. The sunlight to electricity conversion efficiency of the multijunction GaAs cells under concentration was recorded as high as 22.5% when corrected to standard measurement conditions.

Late on July 28, 1999, the DS1 spacecraft flew within 15 kilometers (less than 10 miles) of Asteroid 9969 Braille in the crescendo of a mission that validated 12 state-of-the-future technologies. Deep Space 1 will remain functional when the prime mission ends September 18 and, if an extended mission is funded, could fly by two comets in 2001.

After a ten-year program, all eight ABLE FASTmasts have been delivered for the ISS program. ABLE's masts erect and support the eight large blanket solar arrays which will supply the majority of power to the finished station. The FASTmast stows inside a 7.6-foot long canister for launch and fly-up, then using self-contained mechanisms deploys to a 105-foot length to hoist the solar arrays. The stiff and strong construction of the FASTmast enables the solar arrays to withstand extreme loads such as during Space Shuttle docking. The first planned installation is scheduled for December 1999 as part of Assembly 4A.

ABLE has been contracted by Lockheed-Martin Astronautics (LMA) to provide two UltraFlex solar arrays for the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander. ABLE's UltraFlex solar arrays were chosen for significant design advantages, such as high specific power and low stowage volume, which contribute to mission success. Weighing only 4.2 kilograms per wing, both arrays provide 870 Watts of power, enabling the Lander to function in the scientifically rich planned equatorial landing area. This translates into 102 Watts per kilogram at 1 Astronomical Unit sun distance, making UltraFlex one of the highest specific power arrays in the industry. The stowed UltraFlex solar array occupies a triangular area approximately 5% of the deployed array size allowing two wings to easily fit within the small Lander aeroshell. The array, which is almost seven feet in diameter when deployed, stows into a seven-inch thick package.

ABLE's PUMA™ Solar Arrays continue to provide performance in excess of required parameters for the Broadcast Satellite INDOSTAR-1™. This year, Orbital Sciences Corporation chose ABLE to supply similar hardware for the Japanese Broadcasting Satellites BSAT-2 A and BSAT-2 B.

ABLE has engineered, built and tested space-flight products for over 20 years. The ABLE team has provided mission critical hardware for a variety of space missions with a remarkable 100% on-orbit success rate.

July 7, 1999

Goleta, CA— AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) is under contract to Lockheed-Martin Astronautics (LMA) to provide two UltraFlex solar arrays for the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander. LMA chose ABLE's UltraFlex solar array for its mission-enabling features including extremely low weight, compact stowage volume, and the capability to deploy in Earth's 1g environment.

High specific power is essential to achieve the interplanetary mission's mass budget while providing enough power to cope with the long eclipse periods characteristic of the equatorial landing site on Mars. To enable the Lander to function in this scientifically rich region, each 4.2-kilogram wing provides 216 Watts of power on the Martian surface. (This corresponds to 435 Watts in a typical Earth orbit.) The resulting 102 Watts per kilogram mass efficiency is exceptional, especially when considering that each wing is designed to tolerate a 1g load. This combined performance represents a degree of structural efficiency unheard of in today's space industry.

The UltraFlex's high stowage efficiency enables the greatest number of payload instruments to be packaged onto the Lander, maximizing the mission's science return. The UltraFlex typically stows within 50% the volume of standard stowed arrays.

An integrated team consisting of the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and LMA developed the Mars Surveyor 2001 mission, led by JPL. This mission is part of an ongoing NASA series of robotic Mars exploration spacecraft. ABLE has provided hardware for other missions in this series including Mars Pathfinder, which landed July 4, 1997.

ABLE is an independent supplier of innovative deployable solar array, antenna, and structural systems. ABLE has engineered, produced, and flown numerous mission-critical space deployable systems for 25 years while maintaining a 100% on-orbit success rate.

May 7, 1999

Goleta, CA— AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) has been contracted by Lockheed-Martin Astronautics (LMA) to provide two UltraFlex solar arrays for the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander. ABLE's UltraFlex solar arrays were chosen for significant design advantages that contribute to mission success.

High specific power is essential to achieve the interplanetary mission's mass budget while providing enough power to cope with the long periods without sunlight that characterize the planned equatorial landing site. Weighing only 4.2 kilograms per wing, both arrays provide 870 Watts of power, enabling the Lander to function in this scientifically rich area. This translates into 102 Watts per kilogram at 1 Astronomical Unit sun distance.

Space is at a premium on any interplanetary mission. To make room for scientific experiments, the stowed UltraFlex solar array occupies a triangular area approximately 5% of the deployed array size. The array, which is almost seven feet in diameter when deployed, stows into a seven inch thick package allowing two wings to fit within the small Lander aeroshell.

An integrated team consisting of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and LMA developed the Mars Surveyor 2001 mission, led by JPL. This mission is part of an ongoing NASA series of robotic Mars exploration spacecraft. ABLE has provided hardware for other missions in this series including Mars Pathfinder, which landed July 4, 1997.

ABLE has engineered, built and tested space-flight products for over 20 years. The ABLE team has provided innovative, mission critical hardware for a variety of space missions with a 100% on-orbit success rate.

April 1, 1999

Goleta, CA— The Scarlet™ solar arrays aboard the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Deep Space 1 (DS1) spacecraft represent the most advanced solar array technology demonstrated to date. By using a patented refractive Fresnel lens system, which concentrates sunlight onto the solar cells, Scarlet™ provides high power performance at a fraction of the standard cost.

After the successful demonstration of Scarlet™ aboard DS1, the array team was honored in February 1999 with the Schreiber-Spence Award for distinguished contributions to space technologies and applications. The plaque on the trophy reads: "In recognition of the first use of a multi-band-gap concentrator array for a robotic deep-space mission thereby helping to open the solar system to frequent low-cost exploration."

The arrays were designed to provide 2,500 Watts of power at Air Mass Zero. During the DS1 mission, telemetry indicated power output reached approximately 2,521 Watts. The sunlight to electricity conversion efficiency of the cells under concentration was recorded as high as 22.5% when corrected to standard measurement conditions. The specific power for the array was 47 Watts per Kilogram. All the telemetry data received to date from DS1 correlates extremely well with ABLE's pre-flight predictions, validating analytical models used to characterize the array.

The Scarlet™ technology proven on DS1 will continue to be tested and refined in order to benefit commercial endeavors including mid-level orbit satellites, and communication constellations.

The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization sponsored Scarlet™ for use on DS1. ABLE developed Scarlet™ technology in conjunction with ENTECH, Inc. and the NASA Glenn Research Center. ABLE has engineered, built and tested space-flight products for over 20 years. The ABLE team has provided mission critical hardware for a variety of space missions with a 100% on-orbit success rate.

November 11, 1998

Goleta, CA— During 1998, AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) continued to enable space missions ranging from scientific exploration to global positioning with its innovative technologies. ABLE was selected for the Mars 2001 Lander mission, milestones were achieved in the Deep Space 1 and GPS IIF programs, and INDOSTAR-1™ continued to provide uninterrupted service.

Deep Space 1, the first spacecraft in NASA's New Millennium Program of missions to flight-test new technologies, blasted into space on October 24, 1998. The Scarlet™ concentrator solar arrays deployed flawlessly within two hours after launch and have operated exactly to pre-flight expectations ever since. ABLE's Scarlet™ Solar Array, one of the most technologically advanced systems developed to date, was sponsored for use on DS1 by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. The system employs multijunction GaAs solar cells, Fresnel refractive concentrator optics, and state of the art structures to achieve the mission's technology goals. Next ABLE plans to fine-tune Scarlet for commercial LEO, MEO and GEO constellations.

ABLE's PUMA™ Solar Arrays are already being used in commercial endeavors, such as INDOSTAR-1. On INDOSTAR-1, PUMA™ is providing performance in excess of the required parameters after a perfect on-orbit deployment. PUMA™ Solar Arrays will also power all of the (Global Positioning System) GPS Block IIF satellites. After successful Critical Design Review, ABLE is performing system qualification and is ramping up for production. The GPS IIF program consists of 33 shipsets each containing 2 multi-panel solar array wings.

ABLE's UltraFlex Solar Arrays are part of JPL's continuing expeditions to Mars. Two UltraFlex were chosen for significant design advantages key to the Mars 2001 Lander mission. The compact stowage of 40 x 12 x 3 inches allows easy packaging of two wings within the Lander aeroshell. High specific power is essential to achieve the interplanetary mission's mass budget and to cope with the long periods without sunlight that characterize the planned equatorial landing site. With only 3.5 kilograms per wing, the arrays provide 125 Watts per kilogram enabling the Lander to set down in this scientifically rich area. High deployed stiffness, strength and a low profile allow UltraFlex to withstand the Martian winds.

ABLE has engineered, built and tested space-flight products for over 20 years. The ABLE team has provided mission critical hardware for a variety of space missions with a 100% on-orbit success rate.

Friday, 27 February 1998

Goleta, CA— AEC-Able Engineering Company Inc. (ABLE) is proud to be a part of the NASA Ames Research Center Lunar Prospector mission to the moon. ABLE designed and manufactured the three science booms which carry instrumentation used for taking measurements of the moon's properties.

To insure the Lunar Prospector's center body did not interfere with the survey measurements, all of its science instruments, including the magnetometer and spectrometers, needed to be positioned well away from the center body. This was accomplished with three deployable 8-inch-diameter CoilABLE™ booms, each 101-inches long (after deployment), which were mounted on the spinning spacecraft. The booms also stabilize the spinning spacecraft during its entire mission. Once the Lunar Prospector was launched into its trans-lunar trajectory and then spun up, the three booms were simultaneously deployed, reaching their full extension in 15 minutes.

Compact stowage volume and low mass were essential for this space mission to keep launch and propulsion costs down. Each CoilABLE™ boom was stowed inside a 12-inch-long canister. The total weight of the three-boom system, including the tip plates and mounting hardware, is 28.2 pounds.

ABLE has provided similar CoilABLE™ booms to NASA for Galileo, Cassini, and two GGS missions. For over twenty years ABLE has created superior space mechanisms with a 100% on-orbit success rate.

Monday, July 7, 1997

Goleta, CA— As the United States Pathfinder probe landed on Mars, it was a proud day for all Americans. The team at AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) was especially proud, as their CoilABLE™ mast aboard Pathfinder deployed last night, marking another accomplishment in space for the company and continuing their 100% on-orbit success rate. Now ABLE gears up to provide similar hardware for he next mission to Mars.

ABLE's mast is an integral part of the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) system, holding aloft the stereoscopic camera which provides panoramic views of the red planet. When fully deployed, the open lattice mast is 27 inches long, yet when stowed, it retracts to 10% of its extended height, coiling up inside a 3-inch high canister. The stored strain energy in the structure allows the CoilABLE™ mast to self deploy without expensive motors that add weight and complexity. The nimble steel and fiberglass construction provides a steady, rigid base for the IMP camera, while only weighing 1.5 pounds.

After being perfected for over 20 years, the CoilABLE™ technology is part of ABLE's commitment to the new faster, better cheaper space programs. "It is innovations like the CoilABLE™ mast that enable the mission of tomorrow," said Mad D. Benton, President and Co-founder of ABLE.

For over 20 years ABLE has provided reliable space mechanisms to customers, such as NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), for many key missions including Galileo and Cassini. The same design utilized on the current Mars Pathfinder will fly again when JPL returns to Mars to further investigate the surface and history of our planetary neighbor.

Thursday, May 29, 1997

Goleta, CA— AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) is gearing up to build the longest structure to ever deploy in space. It is the sixty-meter (200 ft) mast, which is the primary deployable structure for the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). SRTM will take place during a single 11-dy Space Shuttle flight with the goal of producing a digital topographic map of 80% of Earth's land surface. Using modified versions of the Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR-C) and X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (X-SAR), NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) will collect data points sufficient to provide approximately 8-meter relative vertical accuracy at 30-meter spatial resolution.

In the original Shuttle Radar Laboratory (SRL) flights, the system made two passes at different angles to obtain the data, which combined to provide topographic maps. Instead of "pass-to-pass" interferometry, SRTM will make use of a 60-meter long boom, or mast, to perform what is called fixed-baseline interferometry. This simply means that two separated antennae are used simultaneously with one transmittingradar pulses and both receiving echoes, so that only one data pass is required for each 225-kilometer wide data swath. The transmitting antennae will be located within the payload bay, as they were for the SRL mission, and the receive-only antenna will be located at the end of the mast.

The 200-foot long mast deploying the outboard radar antenna system will be an ABLE Deployable Articulated Mast (ADAM™) engineered, manufactured and tested by ABLE. During launch and landing, the ADAM™ stows into a canister at about one twentieth its fully deployed length. At full extension, the outboard end of the ADAM™ must remain stable within 0.5 inches of total tip displacement to meet the mapping accuracy requirements for the mission. The 290-kilogram mast supports the 360-kilogram outboard passive antenna at its tip and carries over 200-kilograms of stranded copper, coaxial, fiber optic and thruster gas lines along its length.

Thursday, May 29, 1997

Goleta, CA— AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) is gearing up to build the longest structure to ever deploy in space. It is the sixty-meter (200 ft) ADAM™ mast which is the primary deployable structure for the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), an interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) that will survey 80% of the Earth's landmass in a single Shuttle mission. Two antennae, separated by ABLE's deployed mast, will be used simultaneously with one transmitting radar pulses and both receiving echoes. At its full extension of 200 feet (60 meters), the outboard end of the ADAM™ must remain stable within a 0.5 inch of total tip displacement to meet the tight accuracy requirements of the interferometer. This is accomplished while facing orbital temperature variations, shuttle altitude control forces other environmental changes.

A harness of 148 cables, weighing 459 pounds in total, is connected along the length of the mast to the outboard antenna. Managing this wire harness where it connects to the bottom portion of the canister is especially challenging. This is, most of the canister is devoted to storing the retracted mast, so space is at a premium. The cable management system must protect these vital cables from damage while taking up as little area as possible.

ABLE engineers contact Kabel Schlepp of America for help with this cable management problem. It was determined that a Plastitrak® dynamic cable carrier system would meet the basic specifications required. Working on concert with Kabel Schlepp engineers in Germany, it was determined that several approved plastics could be substituted for the standard Nylon 6 material Plastitrak® is usually molded from.

Because of ABLE' part experience, Delrin® 500 AF was specified for use in Kabel Schlepp's standard molds to manufacture the SRTM cable management carrier system. The Plastitrak® style carrier was chosen because it has adequate internal dimensions, small mounting height and bend radius, and the carrier only bends in one direction, resulting in predictable and controllable movement. Plastitrak® also employs a nap-open design which allows easy cable loading and maintenance. This allowed ABLE to mount the carrier without major instrument modification.

By using commercially available products, ABLE was able to contribute to the SRTM "better, faster cheaper" bottom line. ABLE has engineered, built and tested space-flight products for over 20 years. The ABLE team has provided mission critical hardware for a variety of space missions with a remarkable 100% on-orbit success rate.

Plastitrak® is a registered trademark of Kabel Schlepp of America
Delrin® is a registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

July 22, 1996

Goleta, CA—AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) PUMA™ solar arrays have been selected to power Rockwell International's IIF series of Global Positioning Satellites (GPS). Over the fourteen-year contract period, ABLE will produce up to 66 flight solar array wings for the next generation GPS IIF satellites.

The GPS IIF PUMA™ (Pantographic Unfolding Modular Array) system will rely on Spectrolab Inc. Silicon solar cells to produce an end-of-life power output of over 1.5 kilowatts. The GPS IIF solar array is a standard two-wing "I" configuration, with each wing composed of three solar cell panels and a standoff yoke structure.

The PUMA™ is a synergistic development between ABLE and Spectrolab which leverages ABLE's 21 years space deployable experience with Spectrolab's 10 year solar array panel experience. The system was space qualified in 1992. Current and post PUMA™ flight programs include: Miniature Sensor Technology Integration (MSTI-4) for Spectrum Astro, INDOSTAR for CTA Space Systems, Multiple Experiments to Earth Orbit and Return (METEOR) for NASA Lewis Research Center and Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), and New Millennium Deep Space 1 for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and BMDO.

From a multitude of domestic and international competition, Rockwell selected the PUMA™ system based on its superior performance characteristics. ABLE's PUMA™ solar array provides the GPF IIS team with low cost, low weight, modularity and producibility, with minimum program risk.

Since incorporating in 1975, ABLE has produced high quality space deployable systems and has maintained a flight hardware success rate of 100% with no on-orbit failures. ABLE operates facilities in the Santa Barbara area with a high technology staff of over 110 employees.

May 11 1995

Goleta, CA— AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) is finishing the fabrication of the qualification hardware for the rotational components of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) for the International Space Station. The SARJ allows the Station's outboard booms to rotate as it orbits Earth. This rotation ensures that the Station's solar panels remain constantly orientated towards the sun for optimum power. This structure is key to space station operation as the solar panels provide electricity for life support systems and instrumentation aboard the Station.

The patented design features twelve equally spaced trundle-bearing assemblies that connect the inboard and outboard sections of the Space Station. These trundle packages, which are individually replaceable on orbit without any downtime to the entire system, have two separate rolling modes for redundancy. Redundancy provides the high reliability necessary for all Station components.

The trundles interface with two 10.5 diameter, precision ground race rings that have integral bull gears. The trundles roll on one ring while they are clamped to the other. The race rings are also redundant in that the trundles can clamp to or roll on either ring. The SARJ design allows smooth rotation despite the large thermal changes that take place while the Station orbits Earth. Thermal deformations are prevented through careful design and testing of the hardware before it is assembled in space.

ABLE is under subcontract for this program to Lockheed Missiles and Space of Sunnyvale, California, a subcontractor of McDonnell Douglas of Huntington Beach, California.

Founded in 1975, ABLE is in the business of designing, manufacturing, and testing automatically deployable/retractable and special purpose mechanisms for space applications. Max D. Benton is one of the founding corporate officers and the current President and CEO of ABLE, a privately owned company with facilities in Goleta, California.

November 7, 1994

Goleta, CA— AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) has completed the qualification unit for the masts which will be used to deploy the solar arrays on the International Space Station. Eight flight units will be built under a $40 million contract to Lockheed Missiles and Space (LMSC) of Sunnyvale, California. Delivery of the first flight unit is scheduled for March 1995. LMSC is building the solar arrays and will integrate the mast and solar arrays and deliver the assembly to Rocketdyne in CanogaPark, California for systems integration.

The mast is a patented ABLE FASTmast design (Folding Articulated Square Truss) which was chosen because of its adaptability to a wide spectrum of loading conditions. Each mast will stow in a 50-inch diameter by 91-inch high canister for launch on the Shuttle and will deploy two solar arrays to their 105-foot length. ABLE built prototype and development units and performed extensive testing prior to building the qualification unit to ensure that the flight units would meet the specifications for a 15-year life on the Space Station.

September 20, 1991

Goleta, CA— AEC-Able Engineering Company, Inc. (ABLE) manufactured two of the mechanical structures on the Discovery Space Shuttle (mission STS-48). Space Shuttle Discovery was launched from the Kennedy Flight Center in Florida on Thursday, 12 September 1991.

The primary mission for this Shuttle launch was the release of the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS), designed and built by GE-Astro Space (GE) of East Windsor, New Jersey. One experiment on board is the Zenith Energetic Particle Sensor (ZEPS), which is deployed away from the satellite by a 12.5-inch diameter ABLE boom designed for GE. This deployable boom, which extends to a length of about 16 feet, was constructed from fiberglass rods and aluminum fittings. The ZEPS is part of the particle environment monitor instrument package (PEM) that will determine the type, amount, energy, and distribution of charged particles injected into the Earth's atmosphere, mesosphere, and stratosphere.

September 20, 1991

An ABLE-designed structure referred to in the media as the "Erector Set" was assembled by astronauts in the first test of a truss model for the planned Space Station. This precise scale model was designed for McDonnell Douglas for a program called MODEs (Mid-deck 0-g Dynamics Experiment). The 64-inch long by 8-inch square device was physically tested by shaking and "twanging" the diagonals to see how the structure would react in microgravity. The results of these tests will be used to benefit design and fabrication of structures for planned space platforms.