Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), a space technology company, has just been called upon the US military. The reason? To help construct a science and technology demonstration satellite that will be key in future space defense. The satellite in question is going to be named STPSat-5, and will be made for the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program (STP).

As reported from Maine News Online, the satellite will be set into low orbit, and is scheduled to be put into space sometime in 2016. As for its purposes, this satellite is meant to carry four payloads into low orbit, and will be essential in aiding the development of future national security space systems. This launch is aimed at military protection, and STP hopes it is yet another step in using satellites for defense. 

The STP chose Sierra Nevada Corporation after a competitive process which put the corporation in charge of, just not building the satellite, but developing it as well. With the tools they have at their disposal this should be a doable task. The launch will be carried out at SNC’s space manufacturing facility located in Colorado. The entire process will be carried out by both groups. The STP will first deliver the payloads to SNC’s Space Systems manufacturing facility, and the SNC will load the payloads onto the spacecraft.

The STP has been developing Department of Defense space technology since 1965. In that time they have launched nearly 150 programs and experiments. STPSat-5 is yet another project aimed at the DOD. Though production will be carried out in Colorado, the satellite contract is overseen by a team of NASA scientists working from the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. Sierra’s plans for STPSat-5 come after a successful launch of six satellites for the ORBCOMM Generation 2 constellation on July 14th.