The PTR Aerospace Group has a long and successful career in the development of flight, satellite, and ground station software. Starting in 1998, the following timeline shows some of the major efforts that we have been instrumental in developing.

Between 1997 and 1999, the PTR Group was a key player in the placement of a 33 different satellites in 5 different orbital planes. Each of these satellites is a low data rate Low Earth Orbit (LEO) global communication satellite and is still in operation today.

The PTR Group was heavily involved in all aspects of satellite software, EGSE, System integration and test, LEOPS, and anomaly resolution. In addition the system for maintaining and managing the code baseline and configuration was developed which is still in use today.

Continuing its expertise gained during the Orbcomm development, the PTR Group participated in all aspects of the BatSat development and integration. BatSat was an experimental satellite designed for testing RF systems for the Boeing and Teledesic system. As with the Orbcomm constellation the PTR Group participated in the satellite software development, EGSE, system integration, testing, and LEOPS.

This was a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARP) program to develop a Digital Voice Relay satellite. This satellite provides over the horizon communication using hand held units to individuals on the ground. The system is currently in operation.

The Total Ozone Mapping (TOM) Instrument was an experiment designed to provide long-term, space-based, global monitoring and mapping of Arctic and Antarctic ozone levels.

The SPORT program worked to develop a satellite incorporating aero-braking. This braking would allow a satellite originally in a geosynchronous orbit to transfer to a Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The PTR Group developed the flight and satellite software for the program.

As part of a joint US-China program, the PTR Group developed the satellite software and performed EGSE, integration and testing for an experimental satellite constellation of 6 satellites for the Republic of China. The constellation is still in operation.

Built as part of the Naval Research Lab (NRL) Operationally Response Space (ORS) Program. The purpose was to build a satellite with an IR, visible, and emitter sensor package using "off-the-shelf" components in a very quick time frame. NRL, with the help of the PTR Group, was able to build the satellite in under 1 year.

The satellite is currently awaiting launch

In a similar effort to TacSat-1, the PTR Group worked for the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to develop TacSat-2. This follow on to TacSat-1 implemented the Target Indicator Experiment (TIE) sensor. For this program the PTR Group was involved in the design, implementation, test and integration of the TIE Payload.

The TacSat-2 satellite is currently in orbit

The DARPA Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) experiment was performed to determine the feasibility of performing an autonomous, on-orbit rendezvous with a target satellite. The experiment has been completed.

The PTR Group is currently engaged in the development of the Orbcomm-CDS 3 satellite. This satellite builds onto an existing Orbcomm Satellite a US Coast Guard Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver.

The system is currently in development and PTR is involved in the design, implementation, test and integration of the AIS payload as well as update of original Orbcomm payload to accommodate the new receiver.

The PTR Group is currently developing the low level systems, boot code, drivers, and libraries for NASA's GLAST instrument.