Sanswire Prepares STS-111 Unmanned Airship for Maiden Flight
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL and STUTTGART, GERMANY--(Marketwire - August 18, 2009) - Sanswire-TAO
Corp. (www.sanswiretao.com), the airship development and manufacturing
joint venture equally owned by Sanswire Corp. (OTCBB: SNSR)
(www.sanswire.com) and TAO Technologies GmbH, have announced initial free
flight test plans for the STS-111 Mid Altitude Long Endurance (MALE)
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Focused on the spiral development model, Sanswire-TAO recently reached an
altitude of 4,800 feet and a safely controlled descent in flight-testing of
its seventy-six-foot (76 ft) scaled prototype airship. In addition, the
company tested the aerodynamics and the maneuverability of the airship
during flights utilizing the newly invented Adaptive Trim System (ATS). The
ATS will be used exclusively on the STS segmented airship line to
automatically sense and alter the craft's center of gravity throughout
flight.
On location in Germany, the company is also constructing the necessary
infrastructure at the flight field to accommodate the testing of the
full-scale version of the STS-111, including a hangar. Given the STS-111's
rapid launch capability, when used in the field the airship will not
require this kind of infrastructure support. In addition, Sanswire-TAO is
also installing and preparing ground stations and a maintenance and
operations workshop. The first flight of the full scale STS-111 is expected
to take place at the end of August with operational testing starting
shortly there after. Testing will begin with ground handling, takeoff and
landing procedure and progress into full flight operational testing.
"Our spiral development model utilized by Sanswire TAO Corp. has been
extremely effective at moving our tests forward efficiently and cost
effectively," said David A. Christian, Chief Executive Officer of Sanswire.
"The various tests we have conducted to date on the prototype have all been
successfully completed and we have every reason to believe the first flight
of the full scale STS-111 will be an overwhelming success as well.
Additionally, we remain focused on our other strategic initiatives
including working closely on the command and control systems and payload
integration plans for the airship. We are confident we will continue to
achieve the other milestones we have set for ourselves and continue to work
towards the successful completion of the flight testing and
commercialization of STS-111 airship."
For more information, pictures and video of the Sanswire STS-111 Airship
please visit: http://www.sanswire.com/STS111.
For more news and information on Sanswire please visit
http://irgnews.com/coi/SNSR where you can find a fact sheet on the company,
investor presentations, and more.
About Sanswire-TAO Corp.
Sanswire-TAO exclusively owns and markets all the technology and
intellectual property associated with TAO's lighter-than-air (LTA) unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAV), including the Stratellite high-altitude airships,
the SAS-51 low-altitude airships, the mid-altitude STS-111 airship and
SkySat category, and the PADDS Precision Air Drop Delivery System in the
US, Canada and Mexico. Sanswire-TAO Corp. is jointly owned by TAO
Technologies GmbH and Sanswire Corp. For more information, visit
http://www.sanswire-tao.com.
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Act of 1995. The words "forecast," "project," "intend," "expect," "should,"
"would," and similar expressions and all statements, which are not
historical facts, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
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the Company's previously reported actual results, performance (finance or
operating) to change or differ from future results, performance (financing
and operating) or achievements, including those expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no, and hereby
disclaims any, obligation to update the forward-looking statements
contained in this press release.
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