[Satnews] Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS) has been awarded a contract by SKY Perfect JSAT (SJC) for the design, supply, delivery, installation and test of a TT&C antenna and associated RF system for the JCSAT-16 satellite.

The project, which has successfully completed the critical design review phase, is scheduled for completion this summer, well in advance of the JCSAT-16 launch, scheduled for 2016.

SJC, Asia’s largest satellite operator, currently owns 15 satellites. The TT&C award includes a 9m Ku-Band antenna, fully redundant RF equipment and Kratos’ Compass monitoring and control software.  The system will be installed at SJC’s Superbird Platform West (SPW) ground station located in Yamaguchi, Japan.

Artistic rendition of SKY Perfect JSAT's JCSAT-16 satellite.

The TT&C system, to be provided by the Kratos ISI team of antenna and RF experts based in the UK, will be the primary TT&C earth station for JCSAT-16.  It will include a 9m Ku-Band turning head antenna that has a fixed cylindrical tower with a turning gear at the top to provide a continuous +/- 100 azimuth steering range.  The system will have a step-track tracking and control system and fully redundant RF system.  Kratos’ Compass monitoring and control software will provide the health and status information of the RF equipment to improve system resiliency by identifying and resolving equipment issues quickly.

Under a separate contract, Kratos ISI will also provide its EPOCH IPS™ (Integrated Product Suite) for the JCSAT-16 satellite control system, which will consist of Kratos’ EPOCH® command and control and OASYS® flight dynamics solutions.  Both are flagship products of the EPOCH IPS, an all-in-one satellite fleet management system.

“We have provided EPOCH IPS Command and Control systems to SJC for more than 10 years, but this is our first opportunity to provide SJC with a TT&C antenna/RF system,” said James Kramer, Senior Vice President of Kratos ISI, “We appreciate the trust that SJC has shown in our ability to provide the end-to-end ground system solution for the JCSAT-16 satellite.”

“We were able to demonstrate the high technical quality of our previous antenna/RF systems and our record of on-time deliveries, both of which we believe were key factors in SJC’s selection of Kratos ISI for this very important program,” said  Andrew Smith, President of the Kratos ISI UK operating unit.