THE HISTORY OF ASTRONAUTICS CORPORATION OF AMERICA

1959

1959

First program studied the feasibility of sending a manned spacecraft to the moon and back. A joint effort with the University of Minnesota.

1959

Nate Zelazo’s first business card.

1962

Provided the miniature tape drive on NASA’s TIROS weather satellite which recorded the temperature of the earth. A joint effort with the University of Wisconsin.

1964

Teamed with the University of Wisconsin to develop a gyro stabilizing platform and star tracker for the X-15 rocket-powered aircraft. This was the first time stars were photographed from beyond the earth’s atmosphere.

1966

Early electromechanical flight instruments (clockwise from top left): Horizontal Situation Indicator, Bearing Distance-Heading Indicator, and Engine Instruments. Astronautics was the largest producer of these and others for the U.S. Military.

1966

Upgraded the Horizontal Situation Display system for the U.S. Air Force’s F-111D. The world’s first moving map display combining cathode ray tube and optics technologies.

1966

Provided the Flight Director System for U.S. Navy’s P-3C maritime aircraft.

1970

1975

Created a Standard Remote Terminal (SRT) system for the U.S. General Services Administration, a network of data communications terminals located at every federal and military installation throughout the world.

1976

Produced a Command Instrument System Processor for the U.S. Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Sold over 10,000 instruments for this aircraft.

1980

Developed monitors for NASA’s Mission Control Center for space shuttle missions.

1980

1982

Upgraded Command Instrument System from a land based radio signal to satellite GPS NAVSTAR signal.

1984

Established a technology center in Madison, Wisconsin. Astronautics is a world leader in the development of magnetic refrigeration.

1986

Nate Zelazo featured on the cover of Wisconsin Business magazine.

1988

Purchased Kearfott Guidance & Navigation.

1990

1990 – 1999

James Lovell, Jr., astronaut and Milwaukee native, served on Astronautics’ Board of Directors.

1995

Designed an Electronic Flight Instrument for United Airlines DC-10s which replaced the electromechanical primary flight instruments. This was the company’s first retrofit for a commercial airline.

2000

Developed 4”X4” LCD Electronic Flight Instrument with Automatics Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) for UPS and in support of FAA NextGen research trials.

2000

2001 & 2003

Unveiled newest Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) with charts, checklists, and equipment lists – eliminating the need for paper documents in the cockpit (2001). It was named the “2003 Product of the Year” for Avionics and Electronics, a prestigious aerospace award. (2003)

2004

Performed a complete cockpit integration and modernization for the Brazilian Air Force’s C-130s.

2005

Supplier of EFBs for all 787 Dreamliners (2005) and many other Boeing aircraft. Over 85 commercial airlines fly with Astronautics’ EFBs.

2005

Designed and manufactured a Network Server System (NSS) for the A400M, Airbus’ new military transport. The NSS functions as the central computer system.

2010

2009

Astronautics celebrated its 50th anniversary.

2010

Introduced the NEXIS™ Flight-Intellegent System,
an EFB/server with enhanced connectivity, open architecture, and certified applications.

2016

Introduced RoadRunner Electronic Flight Instrument, an easy-to-install, cost-effective replacement for ADI and HSI functionality to modern digital displays.

2016

FAA selected Astronautics to conduct cybersecurity research for aircraft system information security/protection.

2016

BP5 EFB selected for Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

2017

Airbus Helicopters selected AGCS as its connectivity solution for multiple platforms.

2018

BP5 delivered to Boeing for all future production 787s.

2018

Testing begins on first AGCS units.

2018

Company signs 5-year maintenance continuation agreement with Boeing Defense, Space & Security for mission display processor on T-38 for the USAF.

2019

Astronautics Corporate HQ relocated to Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

2019

RoadRunner EFI received FAA, EASA, and ANAC STCs for A109/119 helicopters.

2020

2020

Badger Pro+ Integrated Flight Display System selected by Bell for 412EPX and 429 new production rotorcraft.

2021

Company subsidiary, Kearfott Corporation, HQ relocated to Pine Brook, New Jersey.

2022

Astronautics manufacturing operations relocated to new corporate HQ in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

2022

Launched AeroSync, the next generation of secure and integrated connectivity products that enable quick and reliable data transmission in demanding helicopter environments.

2022

AeroSync selected for Airbus Helicopter’s new production H125 and H130 helicopters.