SpaceDev was one of nine companies in competition for the JPL study. The most significant aspect of the contract is that JPL and SpaceDev will explore NASA's possible development of a Mars microspacecraft bus which could be used for many future missions. The microspacecraft bus will have the common capability to perform as a science orbiter, a telecommunications orbiter, and a probe carrier with minimal, or no modular modifications, to support the Mars MicroMissions and Mars Telecommunications and Navigation Infrastructure Pre-Projects.

"We view this contract as recognition that SpaceDev has the right stuff -- broad capabilities in the small, low-cost spacecraft and mission design arena," said Jim Benson, founder and Chief Executive Officer of SpaceDev. "This two-month project is a perfect match for the skills and experiences of our ISS and SIL (Space Innovations Limited) subsidiaries which design and manufacture microsatellites and their subsystems."

Using NASA's public/private partnership model, ISS has formed a small business alliance team that includes: Utah State's Space Dynamics Laboratory, (Logan UT), Alliance SpaceSystems Inc., (Pasadena, CA), Advanced Computational Intelligent Systems (San Diego, CA) and Fortune Eight Aerospace Industries, (Boulder, CO). SpaceDev firmly supports NASA's better, faster, cheaper philosophy of doing business. This project is another example of how SpaceDev is able to achieve that quest by combining high caliber science and engineering expertise within budgetary considerations.

San Diego-based Integrated Space Systems, acquired in 1998 by SpaceDev, is an aerospace engineering company specializing in launch vehicle and spacecraft design and analysis. "For the past six months we have been analyzing possible SpaceDev commercial Mars micromissions, so this exciting opportunity came along at the right time," said Phil Smith, founder and Chief Executive Officer of ISS.

Being an integral part of these early design and concept studies, SpaceDev plans to participate in evolving space science and exploration programs for the next century. This is a corporate goal whose initiation began with NEAP (Near Earth Asteroid Prospector). NEAP is SpaceDev's proposed commercial deep space mission to be financed with contracted payloads and scientific data gathering instruments.

SpaceDev's capabilities include design as well as construction of small satellites, ground stations, spacecraft subsystems, and launch vehicles; plus aerospace design and analysis services. Headquartered in San Diego, SpaceDev is a Colorado chartered corporation with additional sales offices in Washington, DC.