[Satellite TODAY 04-22-13] The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a contract to ATK to support the agency’s Space Enabled Effects for Military Engagements (SeeMe) program. Under the contract, the company will study the possible development of innovative surveillance technology for battlefield imagery.

 

    ATK intends to transition advanced, imagery-processing algorithms used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to space and take advantage of the resulting higher-power processing to save size, weight and power, as well as cost, on satellites. To accomplish this goal, the company has partnered with Logos Technologies and the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute.

 

    Additionally, the development of ATK’s new A100 small satellite product line, aimed at serving the microsat market, could provide the capability to transition SeeMe technology to industry, research, and military operational markets.