ELQUEST INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: SB161-007

Description

Satellite communications and sensing technologies are rapidly improving. The demand for these technologies and greater capacity is increasing so fast that using current procurement processes to design, build, test, launch, and deploy large enough on-orbit systems to meet our countrys needs is not sufficient. While ground-based systems are rapidly advancing for commercial customers and applications, current government procurement for broadband satellite communications systems does not have sufficient or consistent funding sources, and the time-to-delivery of service is far too long (between 5 to 10 years). There is a need and a commercial market for an approach that would get assets on-orbit quicker and allow for incremental building of a super-sized satellite structure. In Phase I there are 3 main thrusts, 1) to conduct trade studies and design activities to define the system architecture, requirements, and interfaces for the Persistent Platform in GEO system, 2) to identify and define innovative hardware and software solutions that make the PP possible, and 3) demonstrate the PP can be integrated, modified, upgraded, and expanded in accordance with the changing and unknown future payloads. A teaming approach to this project brings Mr. Leonard Plotke and Mr. Keith Volkert together with a combined 75 years experience.