Exploring the Unknown - NASA's History Office

EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN 315
B. American Science and Technology Corporation (AS&T)
AS&T proposes to take over command and control of Landsat-4 and D’ while pursuing
the development of their own remote sensing satellites. They do not plan to process
or to distribute Landsat data, but will build their own ground segment to serve future
AS&T space platforms. AS&T does not express any interest in civil weather satellite systems.
Additionally, they do not believe further government regulation or legislation is
required or necessary for the implementation of this proposal.
NOTE: AS&T has been working in conjunction with SSI in planning the launch
of AS&T remote sensing satellites as early as 1984.
[13] (1) Responsiveness to Federal Needs:
AS&T would assume operational control (not ownership) of Landsat-4 and
Landsat D’. These satellites would be integrated with AS&T’s own low-cost Advanced
Earth Resources Observation Satellite (AEROS) earth remote sensing satellites,
which would provide complementary data. Thus, many user data needs, e.g., data
format, compatibility, resolution, frequency of coverage, would be initially satisfied
by the combined Landsat-AS&T system. AS&T’s proposed flat fee for access to sensors
and data flows is attractive, and on the surface, very cost competitive. However,
data from non-U.S. areas would have to be relayed via TDRSS, or obtained from foreign
ground stations—with potentially high additional costs. Foreign coverage, lacking
TDRSS capability and foreign stations, may prove inadequate.
The stable of sensors which AS&T proposes to build and launch by 1985 cannot,
by themselves, satisfy current and projected federal requirements for multispectral
data since the specifications do not include the spectral coverage or
spectral resolutions required. Spatial resolutions which are comparable to
Landsat do not solve the problem, since the large majority of analysis is with spectral,
not spatial, information extraction.
(2) Continuity of Service:
Continuity of service appears to be assured, provided AS&T can maintain
development, launch and operational schedules.
(3) Feasibility:
AS&T proposes the take-over of existing Landsat-4 ground subsystems relating
to command, control, and maintenance of the health of the spacecraft. However,
AS&T apparently does not possess the broad range of experience and expertise
necessary to maintain highly complex spacecraft such as Landsat, nor is there a
personnel and facility resource extant in AS&T upon which the company could
rely in any spacecraft emergency.
[14] Statements made previously by AS&T in public fora, but not included in this
submittal, have alluded to probable costs of replacement or complementary sensors
which are unrealistically low, in our estimation. Technical risks associated
with space activities to be undertaken by companies new to this activity are very
high, and translate directly into the necessity for large cash contingencies. In
addition, the probability that complex sensors can be acquired, integrated,
launched and checked out in three years is very low, as discussed in the comparable
section on feasibility for SSI.
(4) National Security and Foreign Policy Concerns:
AS&T does not wish to pay for TDRSS. Unless the U.S. government continues
to support TDRSS for Landsat, it is unlikely that a current Landsat global data
base could be maintained for U.S. or foreign users. This has both national secu-