Optimum Technologies: Top-Notch Solution for the Space

Source: https://www.aerospacedefensereview.com/optimum-technologies

The commoditization of spacecraft hardware and software has driven the space industry to new heights in the era of Space 2.0. Suppliers across the U.S. and the globe now offer high-quality spacecraft components, revamping the supply chain for satellite builders and reducing costs and time to market. Despite the advancements, space mission design is still easier said than done, requiring the adept fusion of commoditized products.

This is where Optimum Technologies stands out. With a team of top-notch professionals, cutting-edge technology, and advanced clean room facilities, it combines hardware and software components, streamlining the process of constructing, launching, and operating space vehicles.

“We started our journey in 2015 as a space consulting and services company. As we grew, we attracted the industry’s top talents and extended our capabilities to the design and assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) of space flight systems for clients,” says Timothy Rumford, Executive VP at Optimum Technologies. “Recently, we have found a niche in Payload I&T. Payloads are critical for a mission. But not all payloaders understand or have the capacity to get payloads ready for integration with a bus and launch vehicle.”

Jeffrey Gick, CEO; Timothy Rumford, Executive VP; John Hildebrand, COO

Optimum Technologies provides specialized payload integration services—a complex task involving the seamless integration of payloads with the bus and launch vehicle. The company strategically positions itself as a comprehensive solution provider, assisting customers in transforming their payloads from boxes into fully prepared subsystems.

This includes incorporating interface boxes, cabling, thermal management systems (including heaters and thermostats), and component assembly into a configuration ready for space deployment.

Optimum Technologies realizes that in the space startup landscape, there’s a notable influx of venture capital directed toward innovative technologies. Many of these startups, however, need help designing a mission around it. Similarly, established Prime Contractors with a long history of success in space systems are encountering the “innovator’s dilemma.” As the industry evolves rapidly, they find themselves seeking ways to stay competitive. Optimum Technologies has the capability to support both of them in achieving their objectives.

Its capabilities can be best highlighted through its success story supporting Zeno Power Systems on an AFRL demonstration mission to further the use of radioisotope power supplies in space applications. Critical technologies are being applied to address challenges due to the lack of available commodity bus products suitable to meet the unique environmental requirements as defined by this payload.

Optimum Technologies mobilized its design team to craft a tailored mission, including a ground-up bus design. This ambitious undertaking demanded extensive engineering expertise across diverse subsystems and disciplines—from electrical and mechanical to software, guidance, navigation control, thermal management, survivability, propulsion, structures, and mechanisms.

The primary objective was to create a bespoke solution to accommodate the intricate technology challenges. It developed the spacecraft on their behalf and is currently completing the design, organizing the construction and testing phases, and assisting with the launch into space.

In a different scenario, Optimum Technologies addressed the needs of a sizable customer with a system designed down to the box level but was looking for a rapid and affordable solution to execute payload integration and testing within their specified timeline. In 2020, Northrop Grumman selected Optimum Technologies to design and develop Protected Tactical Satcom Payload structures in support of an on-orbit demonstration for the U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center.

The company demonstrates its flexibility and adaptability from ground-up bus designs to managing intricate payload integration and testing. As a trusted partner for startups seeking a guiding hand and established contractors embracing collaboration, Optimum Technologies is the astrological compass navigating the complexities of space mission design with unparalleled expertise.