GPS Pioneer Receives Company's Top Honor

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (9/19/02) -- William Feess has received The Aerospace Corporation's highest award, the Trustees' Distinguished Achievement Award, for his work on the Global Positioning System satellite constellation.

The award was presented today by Board of Trustees member Robert Shannon during a ceremony at the company's headquarters in El Segundo, Calif.

Feess, a senior engineering specialist, was recognized for "continuing leadership and sustained history of innovation in the development and implementation of GPS and its applications."

Feess was a member of the core team that defined the first GPS system and helped resolve numerous difficulties in the navigation software. As the system matured, Feess played a major role in defining and implementing key improvements to GPS navigation capabilities. He continues to play a key role in the definition of GPS next-generation navigation capabilities, the award citation stated.

In addition to the trustees' award, President's Achievement Awards were presented to two individual employees and members of two teams.

Accepting individual awards from President and CEO William F. Ballhaus Jr. were David W. Warren "for optical designs for the corporation's hyperspectral remote sensing family of systems" and Dr. Margot L. Wasz "for the investigation and timely resolution of multiple battery issues critical to space launch programs."

Receiving team awards were Drs. Oscar Esquivel, Eric C. Johnson, and James P. Nokes "for developing a method for applying flash thermography to inspecting satellite solar panels" and Dr. James D. Barrie,

Bernard W. Chau, Dr. Steven L. Johns, Lance D. Newman, and Dr. Joseph J. Sacchini "for establishing

The Aerospace Corporation as the sole U.S. government source for the objective assessment and testing of special critical technologies for national security intelligence and military space programs."

The awards convocation is held annually to recognize exceptional achievements that advance the nation's space capabilities.