MONTREAL, Aug. 31, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- EMS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ELMG) today announced that its Space & Technology/Montreal Division has received a CND $3.5 million contract from Public Works and Government Services Canada on behalf of the Canadian Space Agency, following a commercial competition, for work on a stratospheric wind interferometer project called SWIFT.
The contract is for phase B activities that include systems engineering, design, testing and other development phase efforts. The above work will be carried out in Canada.
The "Stratospheric Wind Interferometer for Transport Studies" (SWIFT) is a satellite instrument designed to measure wind profiles in the stratosphere and will simultaneously provide profiles of ozone density. This mission is aimed at furthering our knowledge of atmospheric circulation and will help explain how pollutants are transported within the atmosphere and explain the way in which ozone is distributed in the stratosphere.
Because ozone molecules are moved in the atmosphere by the wind, the wavelength of their emission line is shifted by the Doppler effect. SWIFT is able to measure this tiny wavelength shift with high accuracy and consequently stratospheric wind can be calculated. Although this concept has already been successfully employed for wind measurements in the upper atmosphere with the Canadian WINDII instrument, this is the first time that this technique will have been used to take direct stratospheric wind measurements from space.
Dr. Michael Symonds, vice president, Space Science for EMS Technologies, commented, "EMS is especially pleased to be selected for this instrument definition effort. We believe SWIFT will make a valuable contribution to understanding stratospheric science and maintaining Canada's preeminent position in atmospheric space science. We look forward to working closely with CSA and York University in this program."
About EMS Technologies, Inc.
EMS Technologies, Inc. is a leading innovator in the design and manufacture of space, airborne and terrestrial wireless solutions, and focuses its unique range of advanced technologies on the needs of broadband and mobile information users. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, employs approximately 1,700 people worldwide, and has manufacturing facilities in Atlanta, Ottawa, Montreal, and Brazil.
For more information, visit the company on the World Wide Web at www.ems-t.com.
For more information, please contact: Anne Wainscott Graeme Maag Public Relations Public Affairs EMS Technologies Inc. Space & Technology/ Montreal 770-263-9200, ext. 4326 514-425-3079 pr@ems-t.com maag.g@ems-t.ca