Astrotech Corp. (ASTC)

[mas]

1stDetect Awarded New Contract for Next Generation Chemical Detection Solution

http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=63556995

Company collaborates with Battelle to improve current military chemical detection solutions

1st Detect, a subsidiary of Astrotech (Nasdaq:ASTC), announced today its breakthrough technology has reached a key milestone in the military’s test and evaluation process for Multi-Sample Identifier Detector (MSID) solutions, by being awarded one of the competitive prototype contracts for the Next Generation Chemical Detector (NGCD) program.

“1st Detect is well positioned to be rapidly matured into a tactical sensor solution for defense and security applications along with our strategic teammate, Battelle, the prime contractor,” said Thomas B. Pickens III, Chairman and CEO of Astrotech. Battelle brings 25 years of chemical and biological defense expertise. “We believe this collaboration, in alignment with government direction, will contribute to an accelerated development timeline for NGCD because the efficacy of product design iterations can be immediately vetted with actual chemical warfare agents,” he said.

“We are very excited about the award,” Pickens said. “1st Detect’s disruptive technology will allow us to provide our military with the proper technology needed to save lives.”

1st Detect Corporation has developed an instrument that revolutionizes the chemical detection and analysis market by delivering lab performance mass spectrometry in a small, affordable and easily portable package. The 1st Detect mass spectrometer is capable of detecting a wide variety of chemicals including residues and vapors from explosives, chemical warfare agents, toxic chemicals, food and beverage contaminants, and pollutants. These abilities make it an ideal tool for a variety of applications in the research, security, industrial, process flow and healthcare markets.