Bid On Your Own Space Mission

This view of Earth could be yours!

Have you ever thought about having your own space mission? Do you have a payload that you would like to put in orbit around the Earth? Need a holiday gift for the person who has everything? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to explore space with your own spacecraft?  Now, you can, thanks to SpaceDev.

Imagine looking through the eyes of your own satellite while it silently orbits high above the earth at 17,000 mph. A satellite that you can command from the comfort of your own home or office, simply using your PC and the Internet. Through this auction you can purchase exclusive use of an actual SpaceDev MTV™ satellite – a whole space mission of your own - that will orbit the Earth every 90 minutes with a camera imaging Earth and space, 24 hours a day for up to one year.  A spacecraft like this can cost over $25 million, and that doesn’t even include the launch.  With this auction, not only can you operate a real satellite, but be involved in an entire space mission that will include: design; satellite construction (including putting small personal items of your own on the spacecraft, to go into space*); you name the spacecraft and you name the mission; attend the launch; and participate in on-orbit operations.  To qualify to bid on this exciting opportunity, you must comply with all ITAR regulations and complete a Bidder Approval Form; however, the winning bidder for this unique, first time ever auction will receive an entire personal space mission.  You may have as little, or as much personal involvement and publicity as you like; and, SpaceDev will be there to help and guide you every step of the way.

Imagine being able to track your satellite and know where it is over the earth at all times.  You can have friends over to take turns controlling your satellite as it passes over its ground stations.  Who knows what you might see?

• You could witness massive eruptions of volcanoes.
• You could see big storms on Earth from hundreds of miles above.
• You might witness the Northern Lights in a way only the astronauts have – from above.
• You could be your own space Earth photographer and capture your own, unique incredible images of the Earth from your orbit in the heavens. 
• With luck, you may even be able to see the International Space Station from orbit.
• Thousands may be able to witness your satellite returning from space in the form of a shooting star, a fireball that burns up in Earth’s atmosphere!

AS AN ADDED BONUS:  You will have a potential return on your winning bid because after sixty (60) days of your exclusive command of the satellite, SpaceDev is willing to market and offer time share command to the public on a “Pay for Time” basis.  In other words, qualified people around the world would be able to purchase time slots on your satellite for a fee, and you would receive revenues from those sales.**  With enough purchases, over a long mission life, you might have the opportunity to make some or all of your money back.  No space mission that we are aware of has ever offered such an opportunity.

This is a unique opportunity that is being offered to the general public.  Dennis Tito proved that with $20 million you could buy your way into space.  For those who are interested in space but don’t want to or can’t follow Tito’s route, and spend 6-12 months in Russia training to be a cosmonaut, not to mention risk your life, this is an opportunity for you to participate in your own space mission.

How can SpaceDev offer this Opportunity?

 

This exclusive offer is by SpaceDev, an innovative space developer and commercial microsatellite & hybrid propulsion manufacturer (http://www.spacedev.com/). SpaceDev is offering the high bidder the opportunity of a lifetime. Have you ever thought: “I want my MTV?” now you can operate and control your own SpaceDev MTV™ (see picture above).

CHIPSat was launched January 12, 2003

By winning this auction, you will be asked to sign confidentiality provisions that will enable you to be part of this historic space mission process from start to finish.  During the 12 – 15 months of satellite design, construction and testing, you will be able to take part in a real satellite mission, and have input along the way.   This offered mission will include, but will not be limited to:

• Mission Design
• Satellite Design
• Satellite Construction
• Satellite Testing
• Payload integration into satellite
• Satellite integration into launch vehicle
• Launch of satellite
• Command and control of satellite
• De-orbiting of satellite

This BASIC space mission includes, but is not limited to:

·        A SpaceDev MTV microsatellite with a hybrid rocket motor that changes its own drop-off orbit altitude by 100 miles or more, weighing up to 132 lbs (60kg), including payload and fuel.

·        Nominal payload*** – two cameras, one viewing of separation from the launch vehicle, and another for imaging the earth's surface, space, and the moon, with a pointing accuracy of 5 degrees or better.

·        The above SpaceDev camera payload, or your own small, low-power payload up to 45 lbs (20 kg), with SpaceDev approval.

·        Solar panels and power conditioning and distribution system to power the spacecraft and its rechargeable batteries.

·        Command and data handling system – includes the PowerPC-based high performance SpaceDev Miniature Flight Computer (MFC), SpaceDev Micro Space Vehicle Operating System (MS-VOS™), and the SpaceDev Mission Control and Operations Software (MC-OS™) with TCP/IP protocol for performing satellite operations over the Internet.

·        Attitude Control System (ACS) – consisting of sensors and actuators that utilize the earth's magnetic field, the sun and earth's horizon to position the microsat.

·        Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) System – utilizes GPS to properly manage the course of the satellite during its orbit transfer.

·        Telecommunication subsystem – the earth-to-satellite RF link for data store and forward of pictures, command files and housekeeping/status data.

This auction will result in a binding contract between the winning bidder and SpaceDev, and full payment must be received within ten (10) business days of auction closing. 

This mission will be packaged and provided as an exclusive service to the winning bidder, and SpaceDev will retain ownership of the spacecraft at all times. The satellite will be designed and constructed at SpaceDev’s facilities, and SpaceDev will have final design authority and sole possession and access control until such time as the satellite is transferred to the launch provider of SpaceDev’s choice, for integration and launch.

This mission, payload and its high bidder must comply with all appropriate regulations including but not limited to the United States Department of State International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and export-related regulations.  This includes but is not limited to restrictions on residency and transfer of technology outside of the United States.

This satellite will have a design life of twelve (12) months, but may survive for a shorter or longer period of time. The auction price includes a basic satellite mission including mission design, MTV-based satellite up to 60kg including payload and fuel, two cameras or SpaceDev-approved high bidder payload, launch, launch insurance, and sixty (60) days of insured spacecraft bus operation. All high bidder substitutions or changes are subject to additional fees.

* The item(s) that the winning bidder wants to put on the spacecraft will be limited by size, weight and other characteristics, and will be subject to approval by SpaceDev and the United States government.

** SpaceDev is willing to market and broker the transactions for a surcharge of 30% for those services.  SpaceDev cannot guarantee any purchases nor does SpaceDev guarantee the mission length beyond sixty (60) days of operations, however, SpaceDev will use its best efforts to make the mission last as long as possible.

*** Launch/separation camera: 1/3” color CCD with 33 or 70 degree Field of View (bidder’s choice), at least 330 lines of TV resolution.  The observing camera will have at least the following characteristics: 1/3” color/IR CCD, visible light plus sensitive to IR up to 1000nm, over 400 lines of TV resolution, electronic iris, 1:10 zoom.  Camera details are subject to change at SpaceDev’s discretion.

About SpaceDev

SpaceDev (http://www.spacedev.com/) is a publicly traded corporation (Nasdaq OTC BB trading symbol: SPDV), founded in 1997.  SpaceDev creates and sells affordable and innovative space products and services to government and commercial enterprises. Customers include NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Reconnaissance Organization (NRO), Air Force, Boeing, Scaled Composites, Lunar Enterprise, Missile Defense Agency, and others.

On January 12, 2003, NASA successfully launched the SpaceDev-designed and built CHIPSat microsatellite on a Boeing Delta-II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.  SpaceDev is currently under various contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense to design three more microsatellites, to design and build a Shuttle-compatible “space tug” based on the SpaceDev MTV for moving small payloads to higher orbits, and to develop a small launch vehicle (the SpaceDev Streaker™) using SpaceDev’s proprietary hybrid rocket motor propulsion systems.

This September, SpaceDev was selected to provide critical components for a hybrid rocket motor for a manned space ship, a challenger for the $10 million X-Prize (http://www.xprize.org/).

Under a phase one private sector conceptual design contract, SpaceDev is developing a conceptual mission and spacecraft design for a small, affordable, robotic Lunar lander that features a small dish observatory for demonstrating radio astronomy from the surface of the Moon. SpaceDev founding chairman and chief executive Jim Benson will present results of their Lunar Lander Dish Observatory study at the “International Lunar Conference 2003” in Hawaii, November 16 – 22, 2003 http://www.spaceagepub.com/ilc_2003.html.

SpaceDev's offerings include the design, manufacture, marketing and operation of sophisticated micro- and nano- satellites, hybrid rocket-based Maneuvering and orbital Transfer Vehicles (MTVs) as well as safe sub-orbital and orbital hybrid rocket-based propulsion systems. For more information, visit www.spacedev.com.

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