[Satellite TODAY 05-31-11] NASA has selected Fibertek to design, develop, fabricate, test and deliver laser systems to be used for the ice, cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) mission. NASA announced the deal May 26. The ICESat-2 satellite is scheduled to launch in 2016.

     NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the ICESat-2 Project. The total estimated value of the cost, plus award fee contract, is just under $27 million. The period of performance is from the date of award through launch plus 38 months.

     ICESat-2 is the second generation of the ICESat observatories. ICESat-2 will use precision laser-ranging techniques to measure the topography of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, and the thickness characteristics of Arctic and Antarctic Sea ice. ICESat-2 supports NASA’s Earth Science program by helping scientists develop a better scientific understanding of the Earth system and its response to natural or human-induced changes.