General Atomics to Host NASA MAIA Payload on OBT-2 Satellite

NASA has tapped General Atomics‘ electromagnetic systems business to host an aerosol pollutant measuring instrument on the company’s Orbital Test Bed-2 satellite.

GA-EMS said Monday it will provide integration and pre-launch processing services for the Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols instrument, which will be launched to space in 2022 to study the connection between aerosol pollutants and human health problems, such as cardiovascular and respiratory issues.

Other support services that GA-EMS will perform for the MAIA launch include satellite testing, spacecraft and launch vehicle coordination, in-orbit checkout and on-orbit spacecraft operations enabling instrument operations.

Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS, said the company will offer its services in modular satellite design to support MAIA’s three to five-year mission to collect data on the effect of pollution on the human population.

NASA’s Langley Research Center is managing the MAIA platform under the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program.

GA-EMS’ OTB launched into space in April NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory-manufactured deep-space atomic clock.