Systems Division Press Release
ITT Supports Successful Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Insertion
White Plains, NY (03/10/06) — On March 10, 2006 the ITT Deep Space Network (DSN) Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Team supported successful Mars Orbit Insertion for one of NASA’s newest exploration missions, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). With 100 staff at three NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) locations in California — JPL at Pasadena, the Remote Operations Center at Monrovia and the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow — the ITT DSN O&M Team and JPL planned and executed the DSN support strategy using the DSN 70-meter antenna at Goldstone, culminating in the spacecraft’s successful entry into Mars orbit at 2:25 PM PST.
The MRO carries instruments for studying every level of Mars to identify water-related deposits, radar to probe for buried ice and water, a weather camera to monitor the entire planet and an infrared sounder to monitor atmospheric temperatures and the movement of water vapor. “This spacecraft will return more data than all previous Mars missions combined,” said Jim Graf, project manager for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
ITT’s DSN Team also supports ongoing deep space missions such as the recent Stardust comet spacecraft's return to earth and the Cassini probe’s discovery of liquid water on Saturn’s moon Enceladus. “ITT is proud to support the varied missions of NASA’s Deep Space Program, which will help to unlock some of the Universe’s deeply held secrets,” said ITT Systems Division President, Pete McKinney.
About Systems Division
As an ITT Value Center, Systems Division (www.ittsystems.com) provides, on a worldwide basis, select Government, commercial and international customers with value-added, total systems solutions for turn-key satellite earth terminals, sustainment and service life extension of air and missile defense systems, communications systems O&M, command and control, and range, spacelift systems, equipment and facilities maintenance, to include service life extension and full logistics life cycle support
About ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation (www.itt.com) supplies advanced technology products and services in several growth markets. ITT is a global leader in the transport, treatment and control of water, wastewater and other fluids. The company plays a vital role in international security through its defense communications and electronics products; space surveillance and intelligence systems; and advanced engineering and related services. It also serves the growing leisure marine and electronic components market with a wide range of products. Headquartered in White Plains, NY, the company generated $7.4 billion in 2005 sales. In addition to the New York Stock Exchange, ITT Corporation stock is traded on the NYSE Arca, Paris, London and Frankfurt exchanges.
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