Eleven OG2 satellites ready to ship from Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems to Cape Canaveral for Mission 2 launch. Photo: Orbcomm

[Via Satellite 12-02-2015] Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has delivered 11 Orbcomm Generation 2 (OG2) satellites to the launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, for Orbcomm’s upcoming OG2 Mission 2 launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, targeted for mid-December.

During launch operations, with the support of SNC engineers and technicians, the OG2 satellites will undergo further post-transport testing, fueling and inspection. Following the launch and the completion of in-orbit testing, the spacecraft will be incorporated into Orbcomm’s global Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications network, consisting of the Mission 1 OG2 spacecraft currently in operation as well as Orbcomm’s Generation 1 (OG1) spacecraft. Orbcomm’s M2M network provides tracking, monitoring and control services for remote and mobile assets in core markets including transportation and distribution, heavy equipment, industrial fixed assets, oil and gas, maritime and government.

All OG2 spacecraft are based on SNC’s SN-100 satellite bus, which can be tailored to support a variety of applications, including communication, Earth observation, weather and space science, according to the manufacturer. The SN-100 is designed for a five-year-minimum life and uses a modular payload deck that can be rapidly integrated and tested using highly automated scripts to test all functions. This allows the baseline satellite to be quickly and cost-effectively configured to meet the needs of customers.