A

David

Darling

STRV (Space Technology Research Vehicle)

STRV

STRV (Space Technology Research Vehicle) are satellites designed to allow in-orbit evaluation of new technologies at relatively low cost. The first two, STRV-1A and -1B, were designed, built, and tested at the UK Defence Research Agency (DRA) at Farnborough and launched together in 1994. Each of the 52-kilogram spacecraft carried 14 experiments, most of them associated with ongoing research programs within the DRA's Space Department. In addition, there is a major international collaborative aspect to the project. The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) Materials and Structures Program sponsored four experiments that were built at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and flown aboard STRV-1B. ESA (European Space Agency) submitted experiments for STRV-1B.