PerkinElmer Announces $15M Contract for Its Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standards (RAFS) to Support Next Generation Global Positioning System
SALEM, Mass., Sep 10, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- PerkinElmer, Inc., a global leader focused on the health and safety of people and the environment, today announced that the Company has been awarded a contract valued at over $15 million from ITT Corporation Space Systems Division to support the Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIIA Space System program. As part of this program, PerkinElmer will design and implement several engineering advances into its heritage GPS Block IIR and Block IIF RAFS, as well as qualify and deliver flight units for the first two satellite vehicles by March 2012, with a projected launch date of 2014.
The contract includes options to support up to ten additional satellites. Lockheed Martin, operating under an initial $1.4B contract, is the program's Space System prime contractor for this next-generation system, and ITT is the provider for the cutting-edge technology navigation payload designed to provide improved position, navigation and timing services.
"PerkinElmer is pleased that the benefits of its innovative RAFS technology, excellent product performance and long-standing reliability for GPS satellites continues to be recognized and rewarded by our customers. It is gratifying that, through the nextgeneration GPS III system, consumers and businesses alike will benefit from performance enhancements to our GPS space clocks," said Joel Falcone, vice president and general manager, PerkinElmer's Illumination business.
PerkinElmer's RAFS was developed specifically for space-borne navigation applications where high stability and extremely reliable atomic frequency standards are needed. In August, PerkinElmer celebrated twelve years of continuous, failure-free operation in space of its rubidium atomic frequency technology on the first GPS Block IIR satellite.
"Having built more than 100 atomic clocks for space, far exceeding that of any other company, we are confident that our dedicated design and manufacturing capabilities and 30 years of experience will serve to enhance GPS satellites for decades to come," said John Vaccaro, Technical Director of RAFS at PerkinElmer.
As part of a global GPS system, the U.S. GPS Block III system will transmit a new civilian signal that will be interoperable with both Japan's Quazi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) and Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system. PerkinElmer's rubidium clocks, the "heart" of the GPS navigation system, will enable the U.S. GPS Block III system to maintain its status as the world's premier space-based positioning, navigation and timing system, enabling civilian and commercial endeavors such as ground, air and marine travel, locating, mapping, surveying, and search and rescue operations.
About PerkinElmer, Inc.
PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment. The Company reported revenue of approximately $2 billion in 2008, has around 8,500 employees serving customers in more than 150 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Additional information is available through www.perkinelmer.com or 1-877-PKI-NYSE.
SOURCE: PerkinElmer, Inc.
PerkinElmer Contact:
Francine S. Bernitz, 978-224-4321
Marketing Director, Illumination and Detection Solutions
francine.bernitz@perkinelmer.com
or
Media Contact:
PerkinElmer, Inc.
Mario Fante, 781-663-5602
mario.fante@perkinelmer.com
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