Awards
USCA Best of Herndon in Aerospace Industry Award
October 2010, Comtech AeroAstro was selected for the 2010 Best of Herndon Award in the Aerospace Industries category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).
The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2010 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.
AIAA Space Systems Award
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) presents this annual award in recognition of outstanding achievements in the architecture, analysis, design and implementation of space systems.
In September 2010, the award was presented to Paul Lithgow, Comtech AeroAstro’s President while attending the AIAA Space 2010 Conference and Exposition in Anaheim, CA. The annual award recognized the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Technology Program (STP) government-led multi-contractor team for the successful design, development, integration, and on-orbit tests of technologies on its STPSat-1 small satellite, and mission operations supporting critical USAF and USN missions.
Virginia Vanguard Award and the Fantastic 50
Each year, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce highlights Virginia’s 50 fastest-growing companies on a statewide basis, bestowing Virginia’s most prestigious award for small, entrepreneurial companies – Virginia’s Fantastic 50 Awards. Of these top 50 companies, those with the highest growth rates in each of four sectors – technology, retail/wholesale, manufacturing and services – as well as those with the highest revenues and highest growth rates overall, are honored as Virginia Vanguard Award winners.
In Spring 2004, AeroAstro was awarded the Virginia Vanguard Award from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, recognizing its position as the fastest-growing technology company in the Commonwealth. This marked the second consecutive year AeroAstro has been named to Virginia’s Fantastic 50 list – moving up to number 4 in 2004 from number 12 in 2003 – and its first year as a Virginia Vanguard Award winner. AeroAstro made the list again in 2005.
SBIR/STTR Hallmarks of Success
In 2003, NASA selected ten companies across five categories – Exploration Capabilities, Biological/Physical Research, Space Science, Earth Science and Aeronautics – to feature in the SBIR Hallmarks of Success Videos, a collection of short videos about successful companies that have participated in the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) Programs.
AeroAstro was selected for participation in this unique program – in both the Earth and Space Science categories – recognizing its successful contribution to the SBIR Program, particularly in development of its miniature X-band transponder for the NASA NMP ST5 mission.
Tibbetts Award
The U.S. Small Business Administration holds an annual, nationwide competition among small businesses and organizations, government agencies, universities and individuals working under Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts to honor those with outstanding performance. Named after Roland Tibbetts, a key proponent of the SBIR Program, the Tibbetts Awards are given based on two criteria: 1) economic impact of technological innovation, and 2) business achievement and effective collaborations.
In October 2000, AeroAstro received the Tibbetts Award for its design of miniature X-band transponders for small satellites. In June 2006, three AeroAstro X-band transponders performed flawlessly on NASA’s ST5 mission. The transponders were matured from Phase I concepts through Phase III sole source builds.