Aonix Tools Selected for European Satellite Launcher; Vega project chooses Aonix Ada development tools and real-time executive.

NUREMBERG, Germany -- Aonix(R), a provider of complete safety- and mission-critical solutions, announces the selection of its tools by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Vega Programme, a satellite launcher for satellites weighing one ton or less that are used for scientific Earth observation, telecommunications, and technology applications in low-Earth orbits. Aonix tools have been selected for Ada application development along with its highly reliable real-time executive.

The Vega Programme came into being in the early 1990s when several European countries began to investigate the possibility of complementing the Ariane launchers' family with a capability for smaller payloads. These preparatory activities concluded in 1998, and in 2000, the member countries approved the launcher's full development phase. Aonix COTS products were selected as the mission-critical software phase of the project opened up. The AdaWorld Solaris to ERC-32 product implements the board segment software that controls and monitors all phases of the launcher's take off and flight until the satellite is in orbit.

"Thanks to a long history of certifiable applications, Aonix's tools have been selected for application development and real-time control of the Vega launcher," said Jacques Brygier, VP of Marketing at Aonix. "We are honored to develop an launcher specifically designed for scientific and low-orbit missions and to work with prestigious companies like ELV, EADS Space Transportation, and Saab Ericsson Space who also value high standards of real-time safety-critical development."

"Aonix has built a strong reputation within the Space industry," noted Maurizio Porfiri, System Software Architect at ELV, main contractor of the Vega project. "We were impressed by the quality and robustness of their environment and appreciated the high level of expertise Aonix developed with space technology. Aonix expertise and experience are key factors in the future success of the Vega project."

"Aonix has played an instrumental role in major space projects such as the Ariane 5 launcher and the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)," said Christophe Goarin, On Board Software Integration Manager at EADS Space Transportation. "Aonix products have always satisfied our demanding requirements and met the high-quality standards we expect from our suppliers."

To reduce costs, the Vega Programme uses a flexible modular approach that employs advanced low-cost technologies and takes advantage of existing production facilities used for Ariane launchers. Aonix provides COTS products for onboard software development, based on technology already proven in previous Ariane launchers. The first qualification launch for Vega is planned in 2006 from the French Guiana Space Center. Following this, there will be an average of three to four launches each year.

About Aonix(R)

Aonix offers mission- and safety-critical solutions primarily to the military and aerospace, telecommunications and transportation-related industries. Aonix delivers the leading high-reliability, real-time embedded Java(TM) solution deployed today and has the largest number of certified Ada applications at the highest level of criticality. Our unique modeling solution features UML(TM) 2.0 profiles and MDA(TM) tailored for the mission- and safety-critical space. Aonix products include PERC(R), RAVEN(TM), and Ameos(TM). Headquartered in San Diego, CA and Paris, France, Aonix operates sales offices throughout North America and Europe in addition to offering a network of international distributors. For more information, visit www.aonix.com.

Aonix, Ameos, Software through Pictures, Architecture Component Development, TeleUSE, ObjectAda, AdaWorld, RAVEN, JRAVEN, JRTK, SmartKernel and PERC are registered trademarks and trademarks of Aonix. Java(TM) and all Java-based marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other tradenames and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. (C) 2005, Aonix, all rights reserved.