Description of the Company and Operating Environment

3 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Description of the Company and Operating Environment

(1) Description of the Company and Operating Environment

Astrotech Corporation (Nasdaq: ASTC) (“Astrotech,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), a Washington corporation, is a commercial aerospace company that was formed in 1984 to leverage the environment of space for commercial purposes. For nearly 30 years, the Company has remained a crucial player in space commerce activities. We have supported the launch of 23 shuttle missions and more than 300 spacecraft; built space hardware and processing facilities; constructed and operated world-class processing facilities; and prepared and processed scientific research for microgravity.

Our Business Units

Astrotech Space Operations (“ASO”)

ASO provides support for its government and commercial customers to successfully process complex communication, earth observation and deep space satellites in preparation for their launch on a variety of launch vehicles. Processing activities include satellite ground transportation; pre-launch hardware integration and testing; satellite encapsulation, fueling, launch pad delivery; and communication linked launch control. Our ASO facilities can process five meter class satellites accommodating the majority of U.S. based satellite preparation programs. ASO’s service capabilities include designing and building spacecraft processing equipment and facilities. In addition, ASO provides propellant services including designing, building and testing propellant service equipment for fueling spacecraft. ASO accounted for 98% of our consolidated revenues for the period ended September 30, 2012. Revenue for our ASO business unit is generated primarily from various fixed-priced contracts with launch service providers in both the government and commercial markets and the design, fabrication and use of critical space launch equipment. The services and facilities we provide to our customers support the final assembly, checkout, and countdown functions required to launch a spacecraft. The revenue and cash flows generated from our ASO operations are primarily related to the number of spacecraft launches and the fabrication of the Ground Support Equipment (“GSE”) for the U.S. Government.

Spacetech

Our other business unit is a technology incubator designed to commercialize space-industry technologies. This business unit it currently pursuing two distinct opportunities:

1^st Detect

1st Detect designs, manufactures and sells miniature mass spectrometer equipment. 1st Detect launched the MMS-1000TM during March 2012. The MMS-1000TM is a low power, miniature mass spectrometer device designed initially for the laboratory testing market. The unique design of this unit is the result of the Company’s work with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”) on the International Space Station. 1st Detect has been awarded a Developmental Testing and Evaluation designation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a “promising anti-terrorism technology”, and is the recipient of a Phase I and Phase II award from the U.S. Army’s Chemical and Biological Defense (“CBD”) Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) Program. Following the successful execution of the Phase I SBIR, 1st Detect was awarded a $0.8 million Phase II SBIR contract from the Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. Additionally, 1st Detect received a $1.8 million award from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund in March 2010.

Astrogenetix

Astrogenetix is a biotechnology company formed to commercialize products processed in the unique environment of microgravity. Astrogenetix pursued an aggressive space access strategy to take advantage of the Space Shuttle program prior to its retirement in 2011. This strategy gave Astrogenetix unprecedented access to research in microgravity, as the Company flew experiments twelve times over a three year period. Astrogenetix is currently researching a Salmonella vaccine as part of its ongoing commercialization strategy. Concurrently, Astrogenetix is evaluating a vaccine target for MRSA based on discoveries made in microgravity. In December 2011, the Company negotiated a Space Act Agreement with NASA for a minimum of twenty eight additional space flights.