Sierra Nevada Corporation's Descent Brake Will Help Land NASA's MSL

SPARKS, Nev., Dec. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) Space Systems business area headquartered in Louisville, Colorado, is once again playing a critical role in a NASA mission to Mars. NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), launched November 26th, built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, will rely on the SNC built Descent Brake to gently lower the 2,000 pound rover to the planet's surface. During the lowering, the rover's front mobility system will be deployed so that it is essentially ready to rove upon landing in early August 2012. When the on-board computer senses that touchdown is successful, it will cut the bridle. The descent stage then pitches away from the rover and powers away at full throttle to a crash-landing far from the rover. MSL represents SNC's 11th mission to the red planet.

Full press release available here: http://sncorp.com/press_more_info.php?id=470

About Sierra Nevada Corporation

Under the leadership of CEO Fatih Ozmen and President/CFO Eren Ozmen for over 30 years, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is one of America's fastest growing private companies and the Top Woman-Owned Federal Contractor in the U.S. SNC employs over 2100 people in 30 locations in 15 states. Their seven unique business areas are dedicated to providing leading-edge technology solutions to SNC's customers. For more information visit www.sncorp.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: [email protected] or 775-331-0222

About Sierra Nevada Corporation's Space Systems

Sierra Nevada Corporation's Space Systems business area headquartered in Louisville, Colorado, designs and manufactures advanced spacecraft, space vehicles, and spacecraft subsystems for commercial and government customers. Space Systems (SS) has more than 20 years heritage in space, successfully delivering over 400 subsystems for 300+ satellite missions. For more information about SS visit www.sncspace.com.

For more information, including images and video, please visit our website at:
http://www.sncspace.com/gallery.php?gallery_type=images.

SOURCE Sierra Nevada Corporation

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