"Our release on the Astrotech study contained as much information as was allowable per the terms of our agreement with our customer," Kimberly Campbell, SPACEHAB's vice president of corporate marketing and communications, told SpaceDaily.com in an e-mail.

The contract requires an engineering and concept development report for a new processing facility and associated infrastructure, which Astrotech must complete by September.

"The study contract could lead to the design and construction of the entire processing facility, an opportunity that would greatly enhance our existing coast-to-coast capabilities," said Don White, Astrotech's vice president.

Astrotech's Cape Canaveral location is situated on a 62 acre tract approximately three miles west of Kennedy Space Center, adjacent to the Spacecoast Regional Airport. The complex comprises nine buildings dedicated to spacecraft hazardous and non-hazardous processing, payload and warehouse storage, and customer office accommodations. With over 150,000 square feet of facility space, Astrotech processes virtually all U.S. commercial spacecraft at this location.

Astrotech also owns and operates a full-service facility for processing satellites and upper stages at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The 60 acre site supports expendable Atlas, Delta, Pegasus and Taurus launches from the Western Range.

Astrotech recently completed payload-processing support at this location for NASA's CloudSat and CALIPSO spacecraft. The satellites, launched April 28 onboard a Delta II rocket, will study the planet's environment.

In addition to providing services at its company-owned facilities, Astrotech provides payload processing services and facilities maintenance support for Sea Launch at that company's facilities in Long Beach, Calif.

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