Company History

Astrotech Corporation, through its subsidiaries, has provided support for manned and unmanned launch vehicles for the last 25 years.

Astrotech Space Operations, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astrotech Corporation, opened its doors in 1981 as an aerospace consulting business, and was subsequently purchased by Westinghouse and later by Northrup Grumman. In 1997, Astrotech was acquired by SPACEHAB, primarily to provide support services to an increasingly varied customer base. Over the last 25 years, Astrotech has operated from two company-owned facilities in Titusville, Florida and on the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Within these facilities, Astrotech has overseen the satellite final assembly and checkout, solid rocket motor installation, liquid propellant loading, encapsulation, transport to launch pad, and command and control of the satellite during launch. Astrotech Space Operations has supported the processing of more than 260 major payloads and it is the largest subsidiary within Astrotech Corporation.

SPACEHAB (renamed Astrotech Corporation-2009) was incorporated in 1984 and made its initial public offering in 1995. The first SPACEHAB mission aboard the space shuttle was STS-57, which launched on June 21, 1993. SPACEHAB modules and cargo carriers served as the primary payload on more than 20 space shuttle missions, including research missions on-board the fleet of orbiters and resupply missions to the Russian space station, Mir, and the International Space Station (ISS).

The Company began its commercialization roots through the development of a privately owned, pressurized module that flies in the shuttle's cargo bay and doubles the amount of working and living space available to the astronaut crew. Expanding its services into the logistics arena, the Company developed new flight assets to support the growing transportation needs of ISS users. The logistics module, similar in configuration to the research module, enables delivery of up to 4,500 kilograms (10,000 pounds) of supplies while the unpressurized, externally mounted cargo carriers permit delivery of 2,700 kilograms (6,000 pounds) of cargo.

Combining the legacies and experience of ASO and SPACEHAB, Astrotech Corporation is poised to continue as a leader in the commercial space industry.