REDONDO BEACH, Calif., May 19, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Space Technology sector recently completed registration to AS9100, the newest international aerospace quality standard. This certification signifies the company's commitment to meet or exceed increasingly stringent industry requirements as a world-class supplier of spacecraft and related products to civil and military markets.
Becoming AS9100 certified strengthens the company's competitive position and standardizes quality processes across its many space programs. AS9100 is published by the Society of Automotive Engineers, based on the ISO 9001:2000 quality management standard, and provides 80 additional requirements and 18 amplifications specific to aerospace business operations.
"The AS9100 certification is a reflection of continuous efforts and commitments made by our employees to provide products of the highest quality that help to ensure mission success," said Dick Croxall, Space Technology vice president, mission assurance and chief engineer. "This certification further helps increase our customers' confidence that our process-oriented approach will meet their rigorous quality requirements."
All operations at Space Technology's Space Park campus in Redondo Beach, Calif., received AS9100 certification following extensive audits by the British Standards Institution, a leading management systems registrar. These encompass programs such as the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, the Advanced Extremely High Frequency military satellite communications system, and the James Webb Space Telescope.
The Space Park certification includes Velocium Products in Redondo Beach and the sector's Capistrano Test Site (CTS) in San Clemente, Calif. Velocium designs and fabricates high-speed semiconductors using advanced materials. CTS serves as a testing ground for leading-edge technologies such as high-energy lasers and rocket engines.
The sector's Radio Systems unit received a separate AS9100 certification for its site in San Diego, which produces integrated avionics systems for next-generation military aircraft such as the F/A22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Northrop Grumman Space Technology develops a broad range of systems at the leading edge of space, defense and electronics technology. The sector creates products for U.S. government and commercial customers that contribute significantly to the nation's security and leadership in science and technology.
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