Digital rendering of an Altair satellite. Photo: Millennium Space Systems

[Via Satellite 08-05-2015] Millennium Space Systems has initiated the manufacture of the first commercial Altair spacecraft, a low cost platform for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

Altair 1 uses a flexible 27U form factor, leveraging the CubeSat concept to increase mission capability while keeping cost and schedule savings. The satellite builds on the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Space Enabled Effects for Military Engagements (SeeMe) program for which Millennium Space Systems received a $1.91 million contract in 2013. Altair is designed to demonstrate new and enabling capabilities in significantly shorter time frames.

As part of Millennium’s shift to greater vertical integration, the company is planning the flight demonstration of several internally developed subsystem components.

Millennium is also launching a user interactive website known as MyAltair.com on August 7th where prospective customers can design customize mission concepts based on the company’s Altair small space platform.