EDS selected for NASA data information system contract

Leading global services provider EDS today announced the company has been awarded a five-year, $50 million subcontract from Raytheon Company to conduct engineering design, associated maintenance services, and specification and procurement activities for commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software to support the National Aeronautical and Space Administration`s (NASA`s) Earth Observing System Data Information System.

The Earth Observing System (EOS) is the centrepiece of NASA`s Earth Science Enterprise. It is comprised of a series of satellites, a science component, and a data system supporting a coordinated series of polar-orbiting and low inclination satellites for long-term global observation of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere and oceans.

This year, EOS Core Systems will have archived over three petabytes of data, or roughly 83 times the amount of data contained in the Library of Congress. Through this continuing support contract, EOS data and services are available to scientists worldwide as part of NASA`s contribution to the interagency Global Change Data and Information System (GCDIS).

EDS`s role on the Raytheon team will be to provide support in the critical areas of COTS procurement, maintenance, property management and infrastructure support, and COTS upgrades.

"EDS has been a key team mate during the successful 10-year development and fielding of the legacy EOS Core System," said Don Myers, director of Information Technology Systems for Raytheon`s Information Solutions business. "We will continue to rely on their outstanding performance in meeting NASA Earth Science Enterprise requirements."

"We`re pleased to continue our relationship with Raytheon and NASA on this vital project," said Al Edmonds, vice-president of Global Sales and Client Solutions - US government. "EDS has a proud history of involvement in the scientific community, including our 15 years as technology partner with the JASON project and our 10 years supporting NASA`s EOS," said Edmonds.

Since its creation in 1958, NASA has been studying the Earth and its changing environment by observing the atmosphere, oceans, land, ice and snow, and their influence on climate and weather. The key to gaining a better understanding of the global environment is exploring how the Earth`s systems of air, land, water and life interact with each other. This approach -- called Earth System Science -- blends together fields like meteorology, oceanography, biology and atmospheric science.