Latest news with #SSDT
Dominion Post
29-06-2025
- Business
- Dominion Post
TMC Technologies advancing satellite space research
dbeard@ MORGANTOWN – TMC Technologies is aiming to soar into the satellite research universe with its FlexSat and SSDT products. Both were launched in 2024, developed for NASA. They've sold four so far, to the Department of Defense. Now they are looking to broaden their customer base across the U.S. and internationally. The FlexSat The FlexSat looks unassuming – interchangeable components attached to a foot-square sheet of plastic. 'It's a satellite in a box,' said TMC Chief Engineer Scott Zemerick. 'You can purchase it, and without having to build your own satellite, we'll provide one to you out of the box, all integrated, all working.' It's customizable for any research a customer wants to do in space. 'This helps you get up and running faster, it helps you test out your experiment faster.' Potential customers – universities and research-and-development companies, for instance – don't have the money to build their own satellites and spacecraft, he said. But they can buy a FlexSat and have it attached to a CubeSat – a small modular satellite built up in cubes – that would be launched into space by NASA or SpaceX, and deployed into orbit. Clay Vincent with the FlexSat They can have one built in about two to three weeks, he said. It's delivered in a protective pelican case. The SSDT – Small Satellite Digital Twin – is a FlexSat cousin. It's an all-digital software version of the Flex Sat that can be downloaded and run on the customer's computer. It's a data modeling platform, Zachary Lynch, TMC systems engineer, explained. It delivers simulated spacecraft data and updates in real time as a spacecraft in orbit would. It can be used for such things as flight software development and testing, and modeling a mission before the FlexSat goes into space. 'The keyword being customizable,' he said. 'We can help our customers with expertise they may not have.' Back in 2024, TMCwas awarded a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 contract for the SSDT to support Active Space-Debris Removal research using space-based lasers. TMC partnered with the WVU Center for Innovation in Space Exploration and Researchand the West Virginia Small Satellite Center to address the need for a mature simulation test bed to evaluate and analyze space-based laser techniques for active space debris remediation and removal. Both products' first target audience was NASA, said TMC's Vice President of Federal Civilian Division Programs Denise Lindsey. But they saw that universities are doing research critical to space missions. And large industry companies – anyone that flies satellites – could benefit from them. For the SSDT, she said, it could be adapted to Navy and Air Force missions – unmanned autonomous missions that use the same type of software. TMC is house in an unassuming, two-story commercial building on Pleasant Valley Road. You wouldn't guess at the high-tech work going on in there. It's another example of a West Virginia-based company making an impact in advancing technology for the world. 'We pride ourselves on that,' Lindsey said. TMC employs 140 people here and across the country. TMC built West Virginia's first orbiting satellite — the STF-1 CubeSat – for NASA. It supports software assurance for SpaceX, and the FBI NICS E-Check system for firearm purchases. Founder, CEO and President Wade Linger said, 'It's amazing how little people realize the kind of technology being done by West Virginians right now, the contributions that we're making.'
Press and Journal
24-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Fort William public toilet closures spark anger during motorcycle event
Hundreds descended on Fort William during one of the town's busiest weeks of the year – but there was barely a public toilet to be found. Visitors and locals alike have voiced frustration after discovering the public toilets in the town centre were locked throughout the 2025 Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT). A globally recognised motorcycle event that draws hundreds of spectators and competitors to the Lochaber town. But facilities remained padlocked, with the council blaming vandals – and some recent flooding – for the decision. Among those disappointed by the lack of toilets was Kay MacKay, whose family and friends travelled to the Highland town to follow the competition. She said: 'My husband and some friends went down to the 2025 SSDT in Fort William. 'He has been going every year for many years. 'This year, he could not believe that with the many hundreds of visitors who attended during the week—many from overseas—there were no public toilets available in Fort William town centre. 'You had to pay to park, but the public toilets were locked.' She told The Press and Journal her husband had to pay for a half pint of beer in order to use a toilet in a local pub. 'This event brings in thousands of pounds for the local economy,' Kay added. 'I know public toilets are being vandalised all over the country, but when you host an event such as the SSDT, having them available is a basic amenity. 'This was totally unacceptable when so many people travel to support this event.' The SSDT, which has run for more than a century, is a cornerstone of Fort William's event calendar. Riders tackle gruelling off-road trials across Lochaber, while the town becomes a hub of activity for fans, support teams and tourists. The absence of public toilet facilities has drawn criticism not only from visitors but also from local businesses, who say it affects both the experience of guests and the reputation of the town. One businessman, who did not want to be named, said: 'We had people come in and out all day during the SSDT using the toilet and not spending any money with us. 'It comes to a point that Highland Council will need to pay me to run a toilet for public use, because we have all the costs of doing that but none of the benefits. 'Shame on Highland Council.' A council spokesman said the public toilets had been closed 'due to a combination of flooding and vandalism'. He added: 'At the time of the recent Trials, the Viewforth toilets were closed due to the place being flooded and the electrics being soaked. 'The council had them dried out and then an electrical test was made to ensure they were safe to open. 'They were opened for less than 24 hours before an electric hand dryer was ripped off the wall in the gents' toilets and left hanging by exposed wires. 'The gents' toilet was then closed until we could get another electrician to make safe the hand dryer and the electric wiring. 'It was only the gents that was closed on this occasion.' The spokesman said the Viewforth toilets have been vandalised multiple times, leading to more frequent closures. And he added that the council maintains a year-round Comfort Scheme agreement with the Nevis Centre. The toilets at Station Brae has been closed since May 2024 – again due to high levels of vandalism. Plans are underway to lease the property for 25 years to a company that has expressed interest in reopening the site with two unisex accessible facilities. The SSDT organisers said they had toilets available to participants at its base at the North End car park.
