Goddard engineers working on these advanced Spartan carriers have updated the electronics, avionics and communications in order to improve and simplify satellite operations and ground communications. The Spartan Project Office, located at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., uses small teams of experienced lead engineers to develop the carriers for specific missions. They are responsible for carrier system hardware and software, and for the integration and testing of the spacecraft. The Spartan Project Office is the sole interface with Space Shown above is the Spartan 201 spacecraft which flew four times carrying modified instruments for solar observations. Shuttle personnel at Johnson and Kennedy Space Centers for all aspects of integration, operations and flight and ground safety.
Spartan personnel operate the spacecraft through early orbit operations and check-out.
For Spartan 250, project personnel operate the spacecraft for the entire duration of the mission. Spartan has flown their established 200 series carrier seven times in the last decade. The Spartans Project Office works with science teams during all aspects and phases of spaceflight science missions. Spartan's lead engineers work with principal investigators to successfully propose, study, design, develop, launch and operate a specific science mission using the appropriate Spartan carrier. The carriers utilize available Goddard resources, designs and processes to minimize costs.