REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Aug. 13, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Hundreds of guests and employees attended an event featuring U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) and California's Lt. Governor John Garamendi and Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) chairman and CEO Ronald D. Sugar to highlight the contributions Earth observation satellites are making to global climate change monitoring. The event was held at the company's Space Technology sector facility in Redondo Beach, Calif.
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"Scientists agree that global warming is real," said Garamendi. "As the fifth-largest economy in the world and an environmental leader, California should take a leadership role in providing solutions. We can do that by pulling together a broad coalition that includes government, industry and private citizens."
Alexis Livanos, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector, told the gathering, "There are three key approaches to addressing climate change: adaptation, mitigation, and monitoring. We have the technology to monitor the Earth from space, which in conjunction with observations from air, land and ocean sources, provides a comprehensive picture that is truly global."
There are nearly 100 Earth observation satellites on orbit. Some provide data on tomorrow's weather and others track long-term environmental trends. The satellites produce data that is essential to scientists, the military and industries that are directly and indirectly affected by weather and climate.
These industries, which make up one-third of the nation's gross domestic product, include agriculture, construction, energy distribution, outdoor recreation, finance and insurance, services, retail and wholesale trade, and manufacturing.
Northrop Grumman has a long heritage building Earth observing satellites and sensors, starting with Explorer VI, the first satellite to take a picture of the Earth from space. More recently, it built the Aqua and Aura Earth Observation Satellites for NASA, and is currently building the next-generation low-Earth orbit operational satellite system.
In a demonstration of its commitment to Earth observation systems, Northrop Grumman commissioned its satellite manufacturing facility the "Environmental Center for Observation Systems" (ECOS). The name was submitted by an employee in a contest and the acronym, ECOS, means home or household in the Greek language.
ECOS will be the center for the space systems product line developed by Northrop Grumman, consisting of common products, proven processes and skilled personnel that contribute to greater efficiency and lower costs.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.
