Harris Corporation Opens New Maryland Facility to Support National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-R Program

GREENBELT, Md., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) has expanded its already strong presence in the Washington, DC area with the opening of a 24,400-square-foot facility to support activities for the company's 10-year, $736 million Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite — Series R Ground Segment (GOES-R GS) contract.  Harris is the program's prime contractor and systems integrator.

Senior officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Maryland Governor's office joined senior executives from Harris for a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at the new Harris Greenbelt Support Office at 7375 Executive Place.

The office will house about 100 employees of Harris and its GOES-R GS subcontractors, Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., and Carr Astronautics. In addition to a development lab, the facility will include a staging area for equipment that ultimately will be installed at government facilities.

The opening continues Harris Corporation's expansion in Maryland, which is bringing additional high-technology jobs to the area.  Harris already employs more than 300 people in Maryland and about 1,500 in the Metro DC and Virginia area to support critical national programs.

The GOES-R GS will receive and process – in real time – vast quantities of weather and environmental data from the next generation of GOES-R weather satellites, and will distribute more accurate and timely products to more than 10,000 direct users.  These new products will significantly improve the ability of weather forecasters to more accurately predict dangerous weather, and in turn, warn the public faster.  The Harris GOES-R GS team will design, develop, deploy and maintain the ground segment, and will provide command and control of the operational satellites.

"Severe weather threatens the nation each year, destroying communities and putting lives at risk," said U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NOAA.  "We have a responsibility to provide the best tools our scientists need to issue accurate forecasts and send out quick warnings. That's why this GOES-R weather satellite ground system is important to the Nation and particularly important to Maryland, creating high-tech jobs for our high-tech workforce.  I will continue to work for a federal investment to support innovative technology that has the power to save lives, create jobs and protect the homeland."

"The close proximity of our new program office to the facilities of NOAA and other federal agencies here in the Maryland-DC-Virginia area helps to develop the collaborative relationships and face-to-face communications that ensure optimum program success," said Ray Thorpe, vice president of GOES-R programs for Harris Government Communications Systems.  "We are very pleased to be part of the vibrant Maryland business community and appreciate the warm welcome we have received here."

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 and process it into useable environmental parameters under stringent timelines — turning the data 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.

About Harris Corporation

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries.  Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and more than 15,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists.  Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services.  Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.

SOURCE Harris Corporation