TRW/Raytheon NPOESS Team Completes Second Major Milestone

The
TRW/Raytheon team continues to make excellent progress on the National
Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS)
with the completion of the second major program milestone, System
Functional Review (SFR).

In briefings to the NPOESS Integrated Program Office (IPO) and
user community, the TRW-led team highlighted the results of extensive
trade studies and software development undertaken to define the system
architecture. This milestone paves the way for the design of system
segments.

NPOESS will eventually replace the nation’s current civilian and
military weather polar-orbiting satellite programs with a single,
national program to provide timely and accurate weather and
environmental data to weather forecasters, military commanders,
civilian leaders and the scientific community.

The joint IPO/NASA NPOESS Preparatory Project will be ready for
launch in 2005, and the first NPOESS satellite will be available for
launch in 2008.

“We’ve put top talent and significant resources into NPOESS
because it represents a significant future business,” said Fred
Ricker, vice president and general manager, TRW Space & Laser Programs
Division.

“This team has taken a rigorous approach to end-to-end system
development, focusing especially on software processes. Our functional
baseline for NPOESS will also provide an innovative, affordable
solution that encompasses NASA’s NPOESS Preparatory Project needs.”

The TRW/Raytheon team was awarded a 36-month Program Definition
and Risk Reduction contract. TRW serves as the prime contractor,
leading the overall systems engineering and space segment effort;
Raytheon is responsible for command, control and communications,
mission data processing and systems engineering support.

TRW Space & Electronics builds communications, scientific and
defense spacecraft; produces, integrates and tests payloads; develops
advanced space instruments and integrates experiments into spacecraft.

S&E is an operating unit of TRW Inc., which provides advanced
technology products and services for the global aerospace,
telecommunications, information systems and automotive markets. TRW’s
Web site is at www.trw.com.