REDONDO BEACH, Calif., May 11, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) honored six suppliers who have demonstrated outstanding performance and teamwork on the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program.
The company's Space Technology sector presented NPOESS Outstanding Supplier Awards to Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems, ITT Space Systems Division, IBM Government Systems, Honeywell Space Systems, Atmospheric and Environmental Research, and Advanced Thin Films during its second annual NPOESS Supplier Conference. As prime contractor, Northrop Grumman is responsible for overall system design and development, including acquisition of sensors and assembly and test of the spacecraft.
"This year's award winners reflect the diversity of the NPOESS supplier base," said Fred Ricker, Northrop Grumman Space Technology vice president and NPOESS program director. "Each supplier-large or small-is critical to our success, which is determined by the performance and accomplishments of each and every team member."
Suppliers were honored for the following achievements:
-- Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems has
demonstrated excellent teaming and program leadership and
excellent cost and schedule performance on the development
of the NPOESS ground segment. Raytheon will provide the
ground systems, including the interface data processing
segment; the communications, command, and control segment;
and the field terminal segment software.
-- IBM Government Systems increased the processing and storage
performance of the interface data-processing segment by
improving the price/performance ratio for leading edge
technology implemented in new IBM products. The segment
processes data for centralized facilities.
-- ITT Space Systems Division demonstrated excellent program
performance in the development of the Cross-track Infrared
Sounder (CrIS), and proactively provided assistance to other
members of the NPOESS supply base on challenging technical
issues. CrIS will provide improved measurements of temperature
and moisture profiles in the atmosphere.
-- Honeywell Space Systems demonstrated exceptional teamwork in
developing an isolation system that will permit CrIS the
cross-track infrared sounder sensor to operate without
disturbance from vibration on-orbit.
-- Advanced Thin Film developed photo-lithographically
patterned filter arrays for the Ozone Mapping and Profiler
Suite (OMPS) sensor on an accelerated schedule, while
improving filter performance and cost. The suite will
monitor ozone in the Earth's atmosphere.
-- Atmospheric and Environmental Research provided excellent
support in the development of algorithms used in OMPS and
in the conical-scanning microwave-imager sounder.
As the nation's next-generation operational, polar-orbiting environmental satellite system, NPOESS is composed of satellites, a ground-control system and a data- processing/dissemination network. It will provide civilian, military and scientific communities with regional and global meteorological data; oceanographic, environmental, climatic, and space environmental remote-sensing information; surface data collection; and search and rescue capabilities.
Northrop Grumman Space Technology, based in Redondo Beach, Calif., develops a broad range of systems at the leading edge of space, defense, and electronics technology. The sector creates products for U.S. military and civilian customers who contribute significantly to the nation's security and leadership in science and technology.