SSL selected for study on accommodating a NASA hosted payload

PALO ALTO, CA, July 28, 2014 /CNW/ - Space Systems/Loral (SSL), a leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it was selected by the Department of the Air Force Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center as one of three companies to study ways to accommodate an instrument to monitor air pollutants over North America on a commercial satellite.  The Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) Mission Study is the second Delivery Order to be awarded under the U.S. Air Force Hosted Payload Solutions (HoPS) contract.

"Through its HoPS Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite-Quantity contract vehicle, the Air Force has streamlined the process for NASA and other government agencies to leverage the value of hosted payloads on commercial spacecraft," said John Celli, president of SSL. "The TEMPO study gives us the opportunity to help our government find a very cost-effective solution for monitoring the health of the planet from space."

Earlier this month SSL announced that it was one of the companies that was eligible for U.S. Air Force contracts related to hosting government payloads on commercial satellites through a new streamlined contracting vehicle known as the HoPS IDIQ.  With its track record as a leader in manufacturing geostationary satellites, including 16 GEO observatories, and with 74 commercial satellites currently on orbit, SSL is particularly well-positioned to help government agencies find rides for instruments, sensors and other small missions on commercial spacecraft.

"NASA is looking forward to working with the commercial satellite industry to identify a host system and define an interface for the TEMPO instrument," said Alan Little, TEMPO Mission Project Manager, NASA Langley Research Center. "Their creative ideas will help make this important pollution monitoring system possible."

TEMPO's hourly measurements from geostationary orbit have the potential to create a revolutionary dataset that provides understanding and improves prediction of air quality in North America. If NASA decides to proceed with the launch of the TEMPO payload, it could be the first NASA Earth Science payload to be hosted on a commercial communications satellite.

About SSL

SSL, a subsidiary of MDA, has a long history of delivering reliable satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world.  As a leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to provide spacecraft for a broad range of services including television and radio distribution, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, mobile communications, and Earth observation.  Billions of people around the world depend on SSL satellites every day.  For more information, visit www.sslmda.com.

About MDA

MDA is a global communications and information company providing operational solutions to commercial and government organizations worldwide.

MDA's business is focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, primarily in the Communications sector and the Surveillance and Intelligence sector. In addition, the Company conducts a significant amount of advanced technology development.

MDA's established global customer base is served by more than 4,800 employees operating from 11 locations in the United States, Canada, and internationally.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.'s (MDA) common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDA."

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SOURCE: MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.

Wendy Keyzer
MDA External Relations
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