Washington, DC--The Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2), the second generation of the ICESat observatories, will use precision laser-ranging techniques to measure the topography of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. Fibertek (Herndon, VA) was selected by NASA to design, develop, fabricate, test, and deliver laser systems to be used for the ICESat-2 mission scheduled to launch in 2016. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD manages the ICESat-2 Project.
The total estimated value of the cost-plus-award-fee contract is $26,083,242. The period of performance is from the date of award through launch plus 38 months.
The contractor will provide four spaceflight lasers and one test laser for the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System instrument on the ICESat-2 Observatory. The spaceflight laser systems consist of the optical, electrical, mechanical, material, wire harnessing, thermal control, flight software, flight firmware and support equipment.
ICESat-2 supports NASA's Earth Science program by helping scientists develop a better scientific understanding of the Earth system and its response to natural or human-induced changes. For more information on the ICESat program, go to http://icesat.gsfc.nasa.gov/icesat2/.
SOURCE: NASA; www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/may/HQ_C11-024_ICESAT.html