Austin, TX (May 15, 2013) - 

• GAAP results: net loss of $ 0.1 million (attributable to Astrotech Corporation), on revenue of $4.6 million, or $(0.01) per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

• EBITDA of $0.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

• Astrotech Space Operations (“ASO”), the Company’s core business, supported two missions which launched in the third quarter 2013: NASA’s Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) and NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-K).

• 1st Detect received over $0.3 million in collaborative R&D funding from partners and customers.

 

Astrotech Corporation (NASDAQ: ASTC), a leading provider of commercial aerospace services, today announced financial results for its fiscal year 2013 third quarter ended March 31, 2013.

 

“Similar to many organizations which develop and support long term contracts with federal agencies, we are experiencing and managing through an elongated mission schedule in fiscal 2013. As a result, we are focused on delivering solid gross margins from our in house missions while controlling our operating costs,” said Carlisle Kirkpatrick, Chief Financial Officer of Astrotech. “We continue to collaborate with key customers to develop long term relationships that ensure ASO is competitive when future initiatives are funded. I am pleased that we were able to build for the future, adding the previously announced NASA OCO-2 and NASA SMAP contracts to our backlog. I am also encouraged by our progress within Spacetech, and specifically, 1st Detect. Year to date we have received over $0.8 million in collaborative R&D funding from several key partners and customers. Our OEM- 1000 unit is in evaluation testing under a number of different customer requirements. Our success with these evaluations will drive our future strategy and success. It is notable that our recent ‘patent harvest’ has yielded 11 new patent applications, bringing our current total to 18 (2 of which have been granted); further evidence of our novel application of miniature mass spectrometry.”

 

Third Quarter Results
The Company posted a third quarter fiscal year 2013 net loss of $0.1 million, or $(0.01) per diluted share on revenue of $4.6 million compared with a third quarter fiscal year 2012 net income of $1.0 million, or $0.05 per diluted share on revenue of $10.0 million.

 

Update of Ongoing Operations
The Company’s 18-month rolling backlog, which includes contractual backlog, scheduled but uncommitted missions, and the design and fabrication of GSE, was $28.1 million at March 31, 2013. ASO holds the majority of backlog for future payload processing services and fabrication of GSE.

 

Our Spacetech business unit reached a development milestone when 1st Detect delivered evaluation units of its miniature mass spectrometer to leading analytical equipment vendors. The 1st Detect proprietary mini-mass spectrometry technology provides a broad and versatile platform that we plan to integrate with follow-on products optimized for a number of industrial markets and the security and defense industries.

 

Financial Position and Liquidity

Working capital was $2.8 million as of March 31, 2013.

 

Financial Tables for Third Quarter and Fiscal Year 2013 [PDF 56KB]

 

About Astrotech Corporation
Astrotech is one of the first space commerce companies and remains a strong entrepreneurial force in the aerospace industry. We are leaders in identifying, developing and marketing space technology for commercial use. Our ASO business unit serves our government and commercial satellite and spacecraft customers with pre-launch services on the eastern and western range. 1st Detect Corporation is developing what we believe is a breakthrough miniature mass spectrometer, the MMS-1000™, while Astrogenetix, Inc. is a biotechnology company utilizing microgravity as a research platform for drug discovery and development.

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, trends, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from the forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, continued government support and funding for key space programs, product performance and market acceptance of products and services, as well as other risk factors and business considerations described in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings including the annual report on Form 10-K. Any forward-looking statements in this document should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Astrotech Corporation
512.485.9530