SpaceDev Receives International Lunar Observatory Contract

January 2, 2008: SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) of Hawaii to conduct requirements definition and preliminary design of the ILO spacecraft's astrophysics and communications payload. ILO will perform various astronomical observations from the South Pole of the Moon, and will also engage in commercial communications activities.

"We see this as a critical phase of work for ILO, as it will solidify the mission's goals and priorities," said Mark N. Sirangelo, SpaceDev's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We will determine how to deliver the most valuable and desirable astrophysics data from the surface of the Moon to scientists around the world, while pursuing a design to allow the rapid, low-cost mission development that will be a hallmark of ILO."