General Atomics' OTB Satellite Successfully Completes Five-Year Mission, Enters Deorbit Phase

12:55 pm UTC March 21, 2025 Mar 21, 2025 | by: General Atomics | Electrical engineering

(Photo by: General Atomics)

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems announced today that the Orbital Test Bed satellite (OTB) launched in June of 2019 has completed its five-year mission. The OTB spacecraft will now begin its estimated two-decade deorbit phase.

“The launch of OTB marked a significant milestone for GA-EMS as the first deployment of our GA-150 spacecraft, carrying multiple payloads to demonstrate advanced technologies and accelerate space exploration innovations,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “As we conclude the OTB mission, we’re incredibly proud of our team’s achievements in testing and space-qualifying our customers' payloads and technologies.”

The OTB satellite played host to various payloads, including NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC), developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The DSAC experiment confirmed the clock’s precision and stability, allowing spacecraft to navigate autonomously in deep space without waiting for Earth-based trajectory updates.

Following the DSAC mission, GA-EMS continued to operate the OTB satellite, collecting valuable telemetry and performance data. “We leveraged the spacecraft to gather critical data supporting various projects, including GA-150 satellite programs currently in orbit and those set for future launches,” said Gregg Burgess, vice president of GA-EMS Space Systems. “OTB surpassed all its mission objectives, operating in a demanding orbit and providing significant training and knowledge for our team.”

In addition to the DSAC, OTB carried payloads such as a Modular Solar Array developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the U.S. Air Force Academy's Integrated Miniaturized Electrostatic Analyzer, the RadMon radiation effects monitor, the FlexRX satellite receiver, and over 150 Celestis cremated remains.