Terran Orbital (NYSE:LLAP) announced that it has scheduled the launch of the Pathfinder-R (PTD-R) and Pathfinder-R (PTD-4) spacecraft on August 16.
The 6U Triumph class space vehicles are set to launch aboard SpaceX’s from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the leading satellite manufacturer said.
They are part of NASA’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstration series, which aims to test the operational effectiveness of various technologies in low-Earth orbit with a focus on validating and scaling new subsystem technologies for future science and exploration missions.
Terran Orbital (NYSE:LLAP)’s Triumph spacecraft bus and MK II avionics platform are central to these missions, the company highlighted.
The PTD-4 spacecraft will test NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s new solar panel system, LISA-T, which is lightweight and can unfold in space, featuring a large solar panel with an integrated antenna.
This mission will evaluate solar panel deployment, power generation, and antenna performance between Earth and the spacecraft.
Meanwhile, the PTD-R spacecraft is equipped with Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s Deep Purple payload, which includes two monolithic telescopes for UV and VIS/SWIR imaging, a compact electronics module, and a carbon-composite optical housing and radiator.
The mission aims to observe UV and SWIR light from high-UV stars and the Milky Way’s galactic bulge, as well as to enhance space domain awareness.
SEOPS, a rideshare services provider, managed and integrated the two payloads for the mission.
“Entrusted with the entirety of this mission series, we at Terran Orbital stand poised to not only meet but also exceed the expectations set before us, as we forge ahead into the cosmos,” Terran Orbital CEO Marc Bell said in a statement.