ATK has been awarded a contract to support the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va. for the Space Enabled Effects for Military Engagements (SeeMe) program.

SeeMe seeks to develop enabling technologies to provide reliable surveillance data to the warfighter in the field, using small, low-cost satellites that are launched quickly to support the speed of military operations.

ATK intends to transition advanced, imagery-processing algorithms used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to space and take advantage of the resulting higher-power processing to save size, weight and power, as well as cost, on satellites. ATK has partnered with Logos Technologies, Inc. and University of Southern California / Information Sciences Institute on the study contract.

"This award allows ATK to demonstrate our ability to deliver on every aspect of design, development and integration for low-cost, low-risk flight systems," said ATK Space Systems Division Vice President and General Manager Tom Wilson.

"We have proven ourselves as an industry leader in developing cost-effective spacecraft systems and tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) programs through the success of the military's TacSat-3 and ORS-1 programs. Our team is prepared to provide similar innovative solutions to DARPA in its mission to provide large global coverage to warfighters at lower cost."

In addition, the development of ATK's new A100 small satellite product line, aimed at serving the microsat market, could provide a unique capability to transition SeeMe technology to industry, research, and military operational markets.