NOAA Deputy Administrator Tells Local Leaders Satellite Programs Key to Saving Lives, Lessening Economic Impact of Severe Weather

MELBOURNE, Fla., and WASHINGTON, July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Highlights:

• Dr. Kathryn Sullivan addressed Brevard County leaders and first responders during meeting at Harris Corporation Thursday
• Stressed need for continued funding of advanced weather forecasting technology
• Harris is prime contractor for faster, higher-resolution ground segment of next-generation NOAA weather system

Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction, and deputy administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), today emphasized the vital role played by the agency's satellite programs in providing timely weather data that can save lives during severe weather.

Sullivan addressed a luncheon gathering of area leaders and first responders co-sponsored by the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast (EDC) and Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS). The meeting was held at the Harris Customer Briefing Center in Melbourne. A recording of the webcast may be viewed at http://www.yottastream.com/harris/.  

"Our polar and geostationary satellites are the backbone of the nation's weather enterprise," said Sullivan. "It is critical that we keep NOAA's weather programs funded, even in this tight fiscal environment."

Among the programs she discussed is the next generation of NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). Today's GOES satellites are a significant 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 of this program, the GOES Series-R (GOES-R), is expected to significantly speed severe weather prediction and warnings by processing and delivering 40 times more data than is possible today to NOAA's National Weather Service and more than 10,000 direct users.  GOES-R also will vastly improve image resolution and increase the rate of imagery coverage of Earth's 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 total lightning activity, which provides early indication of storm intensification and severe weather events, including improved tornado warning lead time. The first launch of a GOES-R series satellite is scheduled for 2015.

Harris is the prime contractor for the ground segment of GOES-R, a 10-year contract with a potential value of $736 million. More than 380 people from Harris and its subcontractors work on the GOES-R program nationwide, with nearly 240 of those people directly employed by Harris and based in the Melbourne-area.  The ground segment encompasses receiving and processing of satellite data, generating and distributing products from satellite data, and command and control of operational satellites.

"GOES-R will give National Weather Service forecasters and government agencies an unprecedented edge when dealing with severe weather conditions," said Sheldon Fox, group president, Harris Government Communications Systems. "We have seen first-hand in recent years the devastating impact of severe weather in many parts of our nation, and here in Florida we are just one month into the Atlantic hurricane season. It is clear that the continued development of advanced forecasting technology is essential to saving lives and lessening the economic impact of destructive weather."

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.

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 $6 billion of annual revenue and more than 16,000 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

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