Lightweight material replaces metals and glass to lower the cost of
satellites
FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 10, 2009--
ManTech International Corporation (Nasdaq: MANT) announced today
that NeXolve Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary, has received the
2009 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Innovation for
its development of CORIN XLS Polyimide. The colorless, organic/inorganic
nanocomposite transparent polyimide material is highly resistant to
solar radiation and atomic oxygen erosion, making it a possible
lightweight alternative for glass that is used in space photovoltaic
arrays in low earth orbit and in other space applications. In 2008,
CORIN XLS was recognized by R&D Magazine as one of the top
100 most innovative and technologically significant new products of the
year.
CORIN XLS was developed with funding from the Air Force Research
Laboratory as a coating for high strength fibers exposed to atomic
oxygen and ultraviolet degradation in low earth orbit. CORIN XLS is
ideal for use in space applications requiring high optical clarity and
durability to atomic oxygen erosion, such as a replacement for glass
covers in solar cells. CORIN XLS is also used in display and electronics
applications requiring high optical clarity and polyimide-grade
temperature stability.
“Products such as CORIN XLS, which has been highly praised by industry
experts, demonstrate how ManTech professionals are using innovation to
solve complex problems for our customers,” said Larry Prior, President
and COO, ManTech International Corporation. “A large portion of a
satellite’s cost is due to the fuel required and the satellite’s weight.
Our engineers and scientists recognized the importance of replacing
heavy portions of the satellite -- such as metals in support structures
and glass in the photovoltaic arrays – with lightweight replacements to
lower the launch weight and therefore lower the overall satellite cost,”
he said.
“In comparison with other similar materials for space applications,
CORIN XLS offers numerous benefits, including self-healing, atomic
oxygen and solar radiation durability, optical clarity, temperature
stability, ease of processing with existing equipment and solvents, ease
of storage, and low temperature curing,” said Frost & Sullivan, Industry
Analyst Archana Jayarajah. “This multipurpose material can be processed
with organic solvents for spray, dip, or casting applications, as well
as with more traditional molding processes.”
Building products and materials that can withstand the rigors of space
has been a constant challenge for scientists and engineers. “NeXolve
Corporation has addressed this need with its competitively-priced CORIN
XLS Polyimide, a product that leverages polyhedral oligomeric
silsesquioxanes (POSS),” said Jayarahah. “POSS affords the atomic oxygen
survivability without sacrificing the radiation durability or other
mechanical properties of the base polyimide.”
NeXolve’s CORIN XLS Polyimide is part of a family of polymers that have
been used in spacecraft. NeXolve’s CP1™ Polyimide, a predecessor product
to CORIN XLS, is a key component of NASA’s experimental solar sail,
which uses sunlight to propel vehicles through space, much the same way
the wind pushes a sailboat through water. The 100 square foot sail is
packed inside the NASA NanoSail-D satellite. NeXolve engineers also
helped to design the NASA NanoSail-D satellite.
About NeXolve Corporation
NeXolve is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ManTech International
Corporation. NeXolve provides systems engineering and technical services
for the Missile Defense Agency, the Army’s Space and Missile Defense
Command and NASA. NeXolve is building a five-layer sunshield – roughly
the size of a tennis court – for the NASA James Webb Space Telescope,
the successor to the Hubble. The new shield uses ManTech patent-pending
thin film polymer technology. They also developed ManTech’s CORIN XLS, a
transparent polyimide film used in space and electronics applications
that last year was chosen by R&D Magazine as one of the top
100 most innovative and technologically significant new products of the
year. NeXolve also makes a software assurance product called Document
Detective, which helps prevent inadvertent data disclosure and works
with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, as well as PDF documents.
About ManTech International Corporation:
Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia with approximately 8,000
professionals, ManTech International Corporation is a leading provider
of innovative technologies and solutions for mission-critical national
security programs for the Intelligence Community; the departments of
Defense, State, Homeland Security and Justice; the Space Community,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other U.S. federal
government customers. ManTech’s expertise includes systems engineering,
systems integration, software development services, enterprise
architecture, cyber security, information assurance, intelligence
operations and analysis support, network and critical infrastructure
protection, information operations and information warfare support,
information technology, communications integration, global logistics and
supply chain management, and service oriented architectures. The company
supports the advanced telecommunications systems that are used in
Operation Iraqi Freedom and in other parts of the world; has developed a
secure, collaborative communications system for the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security; and builds and maintains secure databases that track
terrorists. The company operates in the United States and 40 countries.
In 2008, BusinessWeek magazine chose ManTech for its ‘InfoTech
100’ listing representing the best performing tech companies in the
world; Forbes.com named ManTech as one of the 400 Best Big
Companies in the nation; and A-Space, a Web 2.0 enhanced collaboration
tool that ManTech developed for the Intelligence Community was named one
of the Top 50 Inventions of the Year by Time magazine. Also in
2008, GI Jobs magazine named ManTech a Top Ten Military Friendly
Employer for the third year in a row. Additional information on ManTech
can be found at www.mantech.com.
Forward-Looking Information:
Statements and assumptions made in this press release, which do not
address historical facts, constitute "forward-looking" statements that
ManTech believes to be within the definition in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties, many
of which are outside of our control. Words such as "may,” "will,”
"intends,” "should,” "expects,” "plans,” "projects,” "anticipates,”
"believes,” "estimates,” "predicts,” "potential,” "continue,” or
"opportunity," or the negative of these terms or words of similar import
are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks
and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially
from those anticipated, including, without limitation: adverse changes
in U.S. government spending priorities; failure to retain existing U.S.
government contracts, win new contracts, or win recompetes; adverse
results of U.S. government audits of our government contracts; risks
associated with complex U.S. government procurement laws and
regulations; adverse effect of contract consolidations; risk of contract
performance or termination; failure to obtain option awards, task orders
or funding under contracts; adverse changes in our mix of contract
types; failure to successfully integrate recently acquired companies or
businesses into our operations or to realize any accretive or
synergistic effects from such acquisitions; failure to identify, execute
or effectively integrate future acquisitions; risks of financing, such
as increases in interest rates and restrictions imposed by our credit
agreement; risks related to an inability to obtain new or additional
financing; and competition. These and other risk factors are more fully
discussed in the section entitled "Risks Factors" in ManTech's Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
February 27, 2009, and, from time to time, in ManTech's other filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including among others, its
reports on Form 10-Q.
The forward-looking statements included in this news release are only
made as of the date of this news release and ManTech undertakes no
obligation to publicly update any of the forward-looking statements made
herein, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or
circumstances, changes in expectations or otherwise.
Source: ManTech International Corporation
ManTech International Corporation
Mark Root, 703-218-8397 /
cell: 571-259-1169
Executive Director, Corporate Communications
mark.root@mantech.com
or
Joseph
Cormier, 703-218-8258
Sr. Vice President, Corporate Development
joe.cormier@mantech.com
