TSA Grants 1st Detect’s TRACER 1000 Acceptance onto the “Approved” Section of the Air Cargo Security Technology List

Austin, Texas, June 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Astrotech Corporation (NASDAQ: ASTC) ("Astrotech" or the "Company") and its wholly-owned subsidiary, 1st Detect Corporation, announce that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) has approved the TRACER 1000™ for the Air Cargo Security Technology List (“ACSTL”). This action advances the TRACER 1000 to Stage II testing, whereupon successful completion of field testing will move it to the “Qualified” section on the ACSTL. This approval was awarded after the TRACER 1000 was thoroughly assessed by the TSA QG2 Technical Review Panel (“TRP”). Regulated parties in the U.S., such as the air cargo market, which are required to utilize the ACSTL can now purchase the TRACER 1000.

The Astrotech TRACER 1000 Mass Spectrometer Technology™ (“AMS Technology”) is now being used at both airport cargo and passenger checkpoints in fourteen countries after being certified by the European Civil Aviation Conference (“ECAC”) in 2020. ECAC is analogous to the TSA in the U.S. Mass spectrometry is recognized as the gold standard in chemical analysis because of its ultra-high vacuum that eliminates competing chemicals that can cause expensive false alarms. As a result, the TRACER 1000 achieves near-zero false alarms.

Tom Pickens, CEO and CTO of Astrotech, said: “Being listed as ‘approved’ on the ACSTL is an important milestone for the Company. We are now the first and only mass spectrometer ETD on the ACSTL. We look forward to selling the TRACER 1000 to the regulated air cargo market in the United States as we continue to strengthen our domestic sales efforts. Also, we received a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement ("CRADA") from the TSA that advances the Company to the next step in the ongoing TSA passenger checkpoint approval process. All of this is very exciting to be on the path to opening both the domestic cargo and domestic checkpoint markets.”

About Astrotech Corporation

Astrotech (Nasdaq: ASTC) is a mass spectrometry company that launches, manages and commercializes scalable companies based on its innovative core technology through its wholly-owned subsidiaries. 1st Detect develops, manufactures, and sells trace detectors for use in the security and detection market. AgLAB develops and sells chemical analyzers for use in the agriculture market. Pro-Control is developing mass spectrometry technology for use in chemical manufacturing processes. BreathTech is developing a breath analysis tool to screen for volatile organic compounds that could indicate infections or critical conditions. Astrotech is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For information, please visit

Forward-Looking Statements

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