GPS Satellites to Assist
in Data Collection
for New Environmental Center in Puerto Rico
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (6/2/98) -- SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, June 2, 1998--The Aerospace Corporation today announced its role in developing a center to support the collection of accurate environmental information to be used in project planning and economic development for Puerto Rico.
Part of a consortium that includes the Ana G. Mendez University System, Aerospace will be responsible for technical management, information systems development and environmental programming for the Environmental Data Analysis Center (EDAC). Puerto Rico's Department of Natural Resources will supervise the project.
On completion, EDAC will support academic research, promote the transfer of technology, provide a better understanding of Puerto Rico's natural resources and serve as the foundation for an efficient and faster environmental planning process. The information will be available on Puerto Rico's government Internet system.
Accurate data is essential to planning environmentally sound projects, expediting the building permit process and avoiding development delays caused by inaccurate or disputed data. The Aerospace Corporation will leverage its expertise in the Global Positioning System (GPS) to bring the power of this technology to EDAC's geographical information system. Measurements taken from GPS satellites will be used to enhance accuracy and aid in data validation and verification.
Aerospace is currently conducting a four-month feasibility study, funded by the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, to determine the framework within which the complete EDAC project design and development phases will operate. The EDAC project will be completed in two 18-month phases. The first phase will characterize the northern coastal region of Puerto Rico, the second, data for the entire island.
The Aerospace Corporation, headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., is a private, nonprofit corporation created in 1960 to provide research, development and advisory services. Aerospace operates a Federally Funded Research and Development Center for the Department of Defense. The corporation's primary customer is the Space and Missile Systems Center of U.S. Air Force Materiel Command, although work is performed for other agencies, international organizations and governments in the national interest.
