Lockheed, UF to develop mini satellites

Lockheed Martin has partnered with the University of Florida to develop and launch five miniature satellites to test innovative space concepts. Lockheed will fund $450,000 of research and development projects at the university this year. The satellites will be used to investigate, among other things, miniaturized, space-hardened GPS electronics and state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The satellites, called CubeSats, are cube-shaped, measuring less than four inches per side and operating on a power output similar to a cell phone. The work will complement work of the UF-led Advanced Space Technologies Research & Engineering Center, ASTREC. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 03/26/09) Gulf Coast note: UF has several engineering-related research programs in Shalimar, near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Fla., is a participating member of ASTREC.