The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to continue work on a nanosatellite development program, the company announced Aug. 2.

Under the contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate, Lockheed Martin will take the Autonomous Nanosatellite Guardian Evaluating Local Space (ANGELS) satellite program through critical design review. The program is designed to supply the Air Force with a nanosatellite system.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. is leading a team that includes the Space Dynamics Laboratory, a division of the Utah State University Research Foundation; Charles Stark Draper Laboratory; Space Micro Inc. and Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems & Solutions.

The phase 3 contract, valued at $8 million, runs through August 2007. Following completion of the work, the Air Force will pursue a follow-on contract for production of a prototype flight unit scheduled for launch in late 2008 or early 2009, Lockheed Martin said.