— Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has successfully completed a key milestone in a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) program that will process 40 times more data than is possible today, and deliver weather images to more than 10,000 direct users.
MELBOURNE, FL, May 18, 2010
Harris recently completed the System Definition Review (SDR) of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite — Series R Ground Segment (GOES-R GS) program in Melbourne. The SDR is a formal technical review of the ground architecture and how it will operate within the overall GOES-R system. Successful completion establishes a firm baseline for advancing to the preliminary design phase of the program.
"Harris has successfully demonstrated a complete and well-integrated architecture for the GOES-R GS," said Vanessa L. Griffin, NOAA Project Manager for GOES-R GS. "Successful completion of this critical milestone increases our confidence that the GOES-R system will achieve all mission objectives."
Today's GOES satellites provide the familiar images and time-lapse sequences used in television weather forecasts. They are the primary tool used by NOAA to detect and track hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes and other severe weather in the continental U.S. and western hemisphere.
The next-generation GOES-R system will significantly improve image resolution. It also will increase the rate of imagery coverage of earth surfaces from every 30 minutes to every five minutes in normal conditions — and every 30 seconds during severe weather events. In addition, the GOES-R system will provide a new capability for continuous monitoring of lightning events.
The ground segment of the GOES-R program encompasses receiving and processing of satellite data, generating and distributing of products from satellite data, and command and control of operational satellites. Harris is the prime contractor and systems integrator for the 10-year, potential $736 million contract.
"This milestone establishes a common understanding of the GOES-R GS architecture, including the allocation of hardware, software and operations," said Ray Thorpe, vice president, GOES-R programs, Harris Government Communications Systems. "The successful completion of this review brings us one step closer to fielding a weather prediction system that will give National Weather Service forecasters and government agencies an unprecedented edge when dealing with severe weather conditions."
Members of the Harris GOES-R GS team include Atmospheric and Environmental Research Inc., Boeing Mission Systems, Carr Astronautics, Honeywell Technology Solutions, Wyle Information Systems LLC, and Applied Research and Engineering Sciences. The team is providing a service-based, open-architecture solution to accommodate the anticipated 40-times increase in data to be taken in, processed and distributed to more than 10,000 direct users. The first launch of a GOES-R series satellite is scheduled for 2015.
Harris is a recognized leader in satellite ground data processing and mission command-and-control systems. The company's ground data processing systems consist of complex suites of hardware and software that receive sensor data from satellites, turning it into useable information. The company's command-and-control systems feature commercial-off-the-shelf design and high levels of flexibility. Designed for government and commercial applications, they support single-satellite missions, as well as some of the largest and most complex satellite fleets deployed today.
