HEICO’s Sierra Microwave Technology Subsidiary Supplies High-Tech Parts for NASA’s RainCube

Oct 01, 2018 09:45 am
GEORGETOWN, Texas & MIAMI -- 

HEICO Corporation (NYSE: HEI.A) (NYSE: HEI) today reported that its Sierra Microwave Technology (“Sierra Microwave”) subsidiary supplied mission-critical equipment for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (“JPL”) Radar in a CubeSat (“RainCube”) mission, which launched earlier this year from Wallops Island, Virginia, deployed on orbit from the International Space Station and recently sent back both its first and second wave of images.

The Georgetown, TX-based Sierra Microwave provided Ka band Radar Assemblies. Similar to HEICO’s other space businesses, Sierra Microwave has historically been a dedicated supplier for these unique space missions.

The RainCube project is yet another example of scientific exploration into uncharted territories. Weighing approximately 26 pounds, the satellite was launched into a Low Earth Orbit (“LEO”) of 400 kilometers. This very small satellite contains the first radar equipment ever successfully integrated and operated into a Cube Satellite. The satellite’s ultimate mission is to provide more comprehensive weather data in a faster, lower cost and more detailed format. According to NASA, it is likely that the RainCube will be part of a broader weather-tracking satellite constellation; in fact, Graeme Stephens, NASA’s director of the Center for Climate Sciences, stated, “We actually will end up doing much more interesting insightful science with a constellation rather than with just one of [these CubeSats].” In recent months, the RainCube has been providing critical points of data during the hurricane season.

Laurans A. Mendelson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HEICO Corporation, along with Victor H. Mendelson, HEICO’s Co-President and Chief Executive Officer of the Electronics Technologies Group, jointly commented, “We are, once again, happy to congratulate NASA on its remarkable achievements and unwavering commitment to excellence. Technological innovation in the space realm continues to be a crucial factor in advancing humankind’s knowledge and wellbeing. We thank Sierra Microwave for their amazing accomplishments and are proud to be a part of these endeavors.”

Troy Rodriguez, Sierra Microwave’s President and Founder stated, “We are honored to work with NASA and its suppliers to support a first-of-its-kind mission. Sierra Microwave strives to be an important leader in these highly technical, mission-critical fields. I also thank my world-class team for their incredible efforts.”

HEICO Corporation is engaged primarily in the design, production, servicing and distribution of products and services to certain niche segments of the aviation, defense, space, medical, telecommunications and electronics industries through its Hollywood, Florida-based Flight Support Group and its Miami, Florida-based Electronic Technologies Group. HEICO’s customers include a majority of the world’s airlines and overhaul shops, as well as numerous defense and space contractors and military agencies worldwide, in addition to medical, telecommunications and electronics equipment manufacturers. For more information about HEICO, please visit our website at http://www.heico.com.

HEICO Corporation
Troy Rodriguez, 512-869-5007
Victor H. Mendelson, 305-374-1745