Redwire Awarded Contract to Provide Onboard Computer for ESA’s Comet Interceptor Mission to Study Pristine Comet
Comet Interceptor Rendering Credit: OHB Italy
Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW), a leader in space infrastructure for the next generation space economy, announced today that it has been awarded a contract with OHB Italia S.p.A. (OHB Italy) to provide the onboard computer for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Comet Interceptor mission – Implementation Phase (Phases C/D/E1). ESA’s Comet Interceptor will be the first spacecraft to visit a long-period, dynamically new comet or interstellar object.
Redwire’s wholly owned Belgian subsidiary, Redwire Space NV, will develop the onboard computer for the Comet Interceptor mission, which is the “brain” of the spacecraft and is designed to monitor and control other components, including transmitting critical data to operators on the ground. The onboard computer is part of Redwire’s third generation Advanced Data and Power Management System.
“We are proud to partner with OHB Italy and ESA to enable the first-of-its-kind Comet Interceptor mission with critical technology to deepen our understanding of the solar system,” said Erik Masure, President of Redwire Space Europe. “Redwire Space Europe’s breadth of advanced, flight-proven satellite technology is continuing to enable Europe’s most ambitious space missions.”
“OHB Italy considers Redwire as a potential and reliable partner for future missions and is confident that the collaboration with Redwire both for the Comet Interceptor mission and for future activities will be fruitful,” said a representative from OHB Italy.
Through its expanded global operations, Redwire is proud to support a variety of exciting ESA activities including the Cheops mission to study exoplanets; Proba-3, the first precision formation flying satellite demonstration; Euclid, which will create the largest, most accurate 3D map of the universe ever produced; the International Berthing and Docking Mechanism for the lunar Gateway; the Altius ozone observation mission; and the Hera mission to study the Didymos binary asteroid system targeted by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission.