Dave Williams and Fellow Astronauts Thank Neptec for Performance on Endeavour Mission

Dave Williams and Fellow Astronauts Thank Neptec for Performance on Endeavour Mission

Ottawa, ON (PRWEB) October 30, 2007

OTTAWA, Canada – October 30, 2007 – Yesterday, the crew of the STS-118 Endeavour Shuttle mission visited Neptec Design Group, a leader in intelligent 3D vision systems for military, manufacturing and aerospace applications. The crew, which includes Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dave Williams, provided Neptec with an overview of the mission and discussed the success of Neptec’s Laser Camera System (LCS).

The LCS, a laser-based 3D scanner mandatory on every shuttle mission, was used on the August STS-118 mission to examine an area of damage on the outer thermal protective system and provide NASA with the information needed to ensure that the Shuttle and its crew would safely return to Earth at the end of the mission.

“I am very proud that Canadian technology is playing such a critical role on the international space program,” said Williams. “Neptec’s LCS did exactly what was asked of it and helped to ensure we all returned home safe and sound.”

The LCS became a critical component on the Endeavor’s mission when damage to the underside of the shuttle’s hull was discovered. During takeoff, insulating foam from the external fuel tanks broke away and struck areas of the Endeavour’s thermal protective system. Neptec’s LCS was used to recreate exact replicas of the damaged thermal tile that could be carefully examined and tested in simulation environments. NASA determined the area, which was found to be 3.5 inches in length and 2.0 inches wide, would not cause any risk to the Shuttle or its crew when it returned through the Earth’s atmosphere.

“It’s always a great thrill when a shuttle crew does us the honour of coming for a visit after a flight. We are privileged at Neptec to be able to see the concrete results of the hard work that everyone here does every day,” said Dr. Iain Christie, President of Neptec. “The LCS played a crucial role on the STS-118 mission, and this debrief is important to ensure the next generation of Neptec systems integrate the ideas from the end-users – in this instance, NASA astronauts in orbit.”

About Neptec

Specializing in intelligent machine vision systems, Neptec maintains a reputation of quality and reliability in the design, manufacturing, installation and support of its products with the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and other major space programs. With new solutions for the aerospace and defense industries, Neptec, a NASA prime contractor, continues to be a pioneer in the innovative use of intelligent 3D machine vision systems for mission critical applications. For more information please visit http://www.neptec.com.

For more information please contact:

Cerys Goodall

High Road Communications

613-688-1184

cgoodall@highroad.com

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