Northampton, Massachusetts---Millitech,
LLC
has received a phase two contract for $2.3 million from Boeing
Satellite Systems to supply millimeter wave receivers in support of the
Conical Microwave Image Sounder (CMIS) program. The CMIS contract
includes up to 12 years of options, which could double the value of the
order, to supply flight hardware for the National Polar-Orbiting
Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS).
NPOESS is the next generation low earth orbit
environmental satellite system that will save the United States
Government $1.8 billion by converging existing systems operated by the
Department of Defense (DOD) and National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). CMIS is one of the weather instruments included
on six NPOESS satellites. The first CMIS instrument is scheduled for
delivery by 2005 with the second to be delivered by 2007. The first
NPOESS satellite is scheduled to be available for launch in 2009.
"This continues Millitech's 20 year history of supporting flight
hardware for satellite applications," said Bill Hanley, President and
CEO of Millitech, LLC. "We are very excited to contribute to the
state-of-the-art technology that will be launched on the CMIS program.
This award complements our diverse base of microwave and millimeter
wave work that includes radar, satellite communications, environmental
sensing, and remote space-based sensing."
The CMIS sensor consists of three different
subsystems: antennas, receivers, and data handling. The antennas gather
microwave energy from the earth's geological landscape. The receivers
divide the microwaves into numerous specific channels and measure the
"brightness" of the earth within each channel. The data handling
subsystem formats the sensor data and other critical information for
transmission to the ground where algorithms turn the data into weather
information such as maps of ocean temperature, wind speed and snow
cover.
The initial funding for this system was a $750,000
proof-of-concept and design effort that was successfully completed last
year by the company's engineering group at the corporate headquarters
in Northampton, Massachusetts. The further development and
manufacturing of the system will be done at the same facility. The
company employs a total of 80 people between its facility in
Northampton and two manufacturing plants in South Deerfield.
Millitech, LLC specializes in the design,
engineering, and manufacturing of components, assemblies, subsystems,
and fully integrated systems for applications in satellite
communications, radiometry, radar and remote sensing.
For further information contact Bill Hanley,
President and CEO, Millitech, LLC (413) 582-9620. |
