WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2015”Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) has delivered a NASA SpaceNetwork ground terminal to the Blossom Point Research Facility in Welcome, Maryland. Harris led the terminal design, development, deployment and testing, and will also provide ongoing engineering, operations and maintenance support.
The ground terminal augments NASA's existing Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) tracking, telemetry and command capacity and gives the agency greater operational flexibility in the management of the TDRS fleet. The ground terminal utilizes two 20-meter Space-Ground Link antennas, one prime and one for backup, which were installed separately, thereby achieving the same or better operational availability as all other NASA Space Network ground terminals.
Harris has supported most major NASA programs since the 1960s, including human spaceflight missions, satellite payloads and antennas, and ground terminal systems, said Carl D'Alessandro, president, Harris Critical Networks. This new ground terminal was delivered in just 14 months and under budget, and will provide NASA with greater capacity and improved flexibility for its space network.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was recently hosted at the facility by NASA VIPs including Chris Scolese, Director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center; Pete Vrotsos, Director of NASA's Network Services; Bill Marinelli, Development Manager for NASA's Space Communications and Navigation; and Ted Sobchak, NASA's Space Network Project Manager.
Harris is the prime contractor for NASA's Space Communications Network Services program, which supports NASA Space and Near-Earth networks. These networks provide communications and tracking services for a wide range of Earth-orbiting spacecraft, including the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Earth Observing System satellites.
About Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation is a leading technology innovator, solving our customers' toughest mission-critical challenges by providing solutions that connect, inform and protect. Harris supports customers in more than 125 countries, has approximately $8 billion in annual revenue and 22,000 employees worldwide. The company is organized into four business segments: Communication Systems, Space and Intelligence Systems, Electronic Systems, and Critical Networks. Learn more at harris.com.
