Terminal Velocity Aerospace Offers Reentry Services to Enhance Safety
and Promote Space Utilization
ATLANTA, GA, July 10, 2012 – Terminal Velocity Aerospace, LLC (TVA)
announced operation today as a new venture dedicated to improving reentry
safety and furthering the utilization of outer space. TVA offers small protective
devices for data collection during reentry breakup events, and for safe return of
small payloads from space.
In recent years, 40 to 100 large, human-made objects reenter Earth’s
atmosphere every year, with 10 to 40 percent of the object’s mass striking the
ground. These objects include satellites, upper stage rockets, fairings, and other
mission related hardware. There are roughly 3,000 objects in low Earth orbit that
weigh more than 500 kg each. All of these objects will, at some point, reenter
Earth's atmosphere.
Our current knowledge of how reentry and breakup occurs is limited because of
the difficulty in directly observing reentry events. There is little data available to
calibrate reentry models, improve our ability to predict the reentry breakup
process, or develop design criteria for future space hardware. This represents a
measurable, and increasing, safety risk to people and property. “Terminal
Velocity is proactively working to reduce the uncertainty associated with
atmospheric reentry and breakup of spacecraft and launch vehicle stages," said
Dominic DePasquale, the company's CEO. "Our products directly address the
needs of the reentry safety and design communities.”
TVA's first product, RED-Data, is currently available. RED-Data provides
unparalleled insight into the physics and dynamics of atmospheric breakup of
reentering spacecraft and debris. RED-Data is a basketball sized device, with a
mass of approximately 8 kg, that is encased in a heat shield. RED-Data rides
with a host vehicle to space, records detailed data during the reentry event, and
transmits that data to Earth before hitting the ground. RED-Data is based on the
flight-proven Reentry Breakup Recorder (ReBR) designed and successfully flight
demonstrated by The Aerospace Corporation based in Los Angeles, CA. TVA
holds the exclusive license for The Aerospace Corporation’s patented ReBR
technology.
Through an ongoing relationship with The Aerospace Corporation, and a
research and development partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology’s
Space Systems Design Laboratory, TVA will expand its initial offering to include a
full suite of RED products to address market needs for better research platforms
for collecting reentry data and for cost-effective small payload return. The next
generation of RED products will serve functions such as collection of reentry data
from distributed sensors (RED-Sensor), technology test platform (RED-Test),
small payload return (RED-Treasure), and "black box" safety recording for
human spaceflight missions (RED-SafeReturn).
Terminal Velocity Aerospace, LLC was co-founded by Dr. Robert Braun, Director
of the Georgia Tech Space Systems Design Laboratory, and Dr. John Olds, CEO
of SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. TVA is a Georgia-based limited liability
company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. The firm also has operating offices in
Washington, DC. TVA is privately held.
Contact: Mr. Dominic DePasquale, CEO
Terminal Velocity Aerospace, LLC
1701 K St., N.W., Suite 750 Washington, DC 20006 USA
1+202.503.1753
1040 Crown Pointe Pkwy, Suite 950, Atlanta, GA 30338 USA
1+404-991-2210
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.tvaero.com