Correction: ESA extends contract on support for health monitoring on the space station
COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT
Odense, April 27th, 2022
Company Announcement no. 36 - 27-04-2022
ESA extends contract on support for health monitoring on the space station
Danish Aerospace Company A/S has received an extended and increased contract regarding support on medical equipment and health monitoring of astronauts on the International Space Station.
This company announcement contains insider information.
- Since July 2006, Danish Aerospace Company A/S (DAC) has, under various form, supported the regular health monitoring and fitness tests of astronauts on the International Space Station from its mission control center in Odense.
- The fitness tests are performed on the Company's CEVIS space ergometer and with the company's PPFS respiratory health monitoring equipment. DAC has contracts on maintaining the equipment in space, along with the corresponding training models on Earth.
- ESA has now extended and increased the Company's Medical Operation Support & Engineering Services (MOSES) contract on this support and maintenance through the end of 2022.
- Further, there will be an option to prolong to 2023 and 2024, which ESA can activate.
- Additionally, the contract contains options for various extra services and software for testing of DAC’s equipment from Earth.
- Fitness tests are performed regularly by all NASA, ESA, Japanese and Canadian astronauts when they are staying on the International Space Station.
- The readings are performed for the first time about 2 weeks after the astronauts have arrived at the space station, after approx. every 3 months in space and the last time about 2 weeks before returning to Earth.
- The extension of the contract means that it will now also run throughout 2022. The extension and increase have a value of approx. 1,9 million DKK. (approx. EUR 260k)
” We are very pleased that ESA has extended the contract and placed options for the coming years. We can hereby continue to maintain our equipment and provide our technical expertise for the critical health monitoring and fitness tests, furthermore, we gain valuable experiences for our other development projects.” - says CEO for DAC, Thomas A. E. Andersen.
He continues: “Monitoring of astronauts’ health is closely connected to their exercise and the exercise equipment we develop. It is essential for astronauts to always be in good physical shape in space. This is because in the event of medical or technical problems on the space station, they must be well prepared quickly to return to Earth and its gravity or, in the event of problems, be able to undertake a spacewalk with repairs outside the space station. Therefore, regular health monitoring and fitness tests are essential.” - says Thomas A. E. Andersen
Additional information
For the past 33 years, the company has had more than 3.2 tons of equipment sent into space. Today, there is approximately 340 kilos of equipment developed and built by DAC on the International Space Station. It includes, among others; the CEVIS space ergometer, the PPFS health monitoring equipment, Internal outfitting of the MELFI-freezers, as well as several associated equipment for research and scientific experiments.
Since 1993, the company has had a control room to support experiments and equipment on the now-retired Russian space station Mir, on the US Space Shuttles and since 2000 on the International Space Station. Until today, DAC has been responsible for conducting 28 experiments with nearly 1,000 in-flight sessions on 55 different astronauts as test subjects on the International Space Station.
Furthermore, the Company has so far supported over 75 health- and fitness sessions on non-Russian astronauts since DAC's equipment was introduced as a standard for these tests in May 2017. Prior to this, DAC conducted a variety of initial fitness sessions in preparation from July 2006 to 2017.
Today, there are six astronauts living at the International Space Station, four Americans, one European and two Russians, they typically stay on the space station for six months at a time.
For further information, please contact:
Danish Aerospace Company A/S:
CEO Thomas A.E. Andersen
Mobile: +45 40 29 41 62
Mail: [email protected]
Certified Adviser:
Gert Mortensen, Partner
Baker Tilly Corporate Finance P/S
Tel.: +45 33 45 10 00
About Danish Aerospace Company A/S:
Danish Aerospace Company (DAC) is a high-tech company operating in the area of advanced medical instrumentation and other engineering fields primarily within space applications and other extreme environments.
Our products are based on many years of specialized research and development. These consist of developing, integrating, and applying new as well as established medical technologies to the challenges of functioning and remaining reliable in space. These products and services bring the potential of space research and experience from space operations down to Earth for the benefit of all Mankind.
Danish Aerospace Company employs engineers and technicians within mechanical, electrical and software, who deliver full engineering, production and technical services for our customers. We have specialized in customer specific design, development, manufacturing, certification, maintenance, testing, and operations of medical equipment for manned space flight and other extreme environments. To date, approx. 3,2 tons of the company’s equipment has been sent to space.
The Company’s quality system is certified in obligation to BS EN ISO 9001:2015, BS EN 9100:2018 technically equivalent to AS9100D that are the acknowledged standards in the area.
Note: This is a translation of the corresponding Company Announcement in Danish. In case of discrepancies between the Danish wording and the English translation, the Danish wording prevails.
