Harris Corp. [NYSE: HRS] (Colorado Springs, Colo.), which supplies satellite communications equipment and integrated network control and support systems, landed a $3.2 million contract with Integral Systems [Nasdaq: ISYS] to support the design, development, integration and testing of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s (NOAA) Initial Joint Polar-orbiting Operational System.

Under terms of the contract, the Harris Technical Services operation in Omaha, Neb., will be responsible to upgrade and augment the ground system for the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (NESDIS POES). The system is located at the Satellite Operations Control Center in Suitland, Md., and at the Command and Data Acquisition Stations in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Wallops Island, Va.

The purpose of the upgrade program is to facilitate the NESDIS POES ground system’s support of future POES satellites, as well as the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) Meteorological Operational series of satellites, which are scheduled to be launched beginning in 2005. NOAA and EUMETSAT will share resources in a cooperative venture beneficial to both parties and to the world’s meteorological community.