AUSTIN, Texas, June 4, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Astrotech Corporation, (Nasdaq:ASTC) and its Astrotech Space Operations subsidiary congratulate Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and its CEO Elon Musk on the successful mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
"We congratulate SpaceX and its employees on this historic achievement for the commercial space industry. This is one of the greatest accomplishments of this century. This triumph shows the strength of excellent entrepreneurial vision, leadership, innovation and execution. Successfully designing and building a spacecraft that has now docked and returned from the ISS is one of the most complex engineering challenges of our age and doing it on such a small budget should stand as proof that the private sector can do much more if given the opportunity. We firmly believe this milestone marks the beginning of a new era of commercial activities in lower earth orbit and beyond, and Astrotech is excited about supporting SpaceX and its satellite customers in the years ahead" stated Thomas B. Pickens, III, Astrotech's Chief Executive Officer.
About Astrotech Corporation and Astrotech Space Operations (ASO)
Astrotech is one of the first commercial space companies and remains a strong entrepreneurial force in the aerospace industry. We are leaders in identifying, developing and marketing space technology for commercial use. Our Astrotech Space Operations (ASO) has been a global satellite processing leader since 1981. With 298 successful spacecraft missions to date, Astrotech continues to provide adaptable and flexible services for its government and commercial customers. Astrotech Space Operations provides all support necessary for successful spacecraft processing to prepare for launch on a variety of domestic and foreign launch vehicles. Spacecraft undergo pre-launch hardware integration and testing, satellite encapsulation, and fueling before transport to the pad. Astrotech Space Operations serves our satellite and spacecraft customers with pre-launch services on both the eastern and western ranges.
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This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, trends, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from the forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, continued government support and funding for key space programs, product performance and market acceptance of products and services, as well as other risk factors and business considerations described in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings including the annual report on Form 10-K. Any forward-looking statements in this document should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.