5 things to know about Harris satellite reflector business in Palm Bay, as it reaches milestone

Melbourne-based Harris Corp. marked a milestone this week, with the production of its 100th unfurlable mesh reflector that's used in the space satellite antenna industry.

Harris is the world leader in making these reflectors, which the company says provide a critical communications link between satellites and ground stations. 

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More than 400 engineers, scientists and technicians are part of Harris' space antenna business, which is in Palm Bay. 

"This is a great milestone for Harris and also for our customers," said Murali Krishnan, vice president and general manager of the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance business unit at Harris Space and Intelligence Systems. "Having that work done here in Florida is a great thing."

Harris employees, customers and other dignitaries gathered Tuesday at the Palm Bay facility to mark the milestone.

Here are five things to know about this segment of the company's business.

Long history: Harris has been involved in this business for more than 40 years.

Airbus is customer for reflector 100: Harris is manufacturing the 100th reflector for Airbus Defence and Space, Europe’s leading space company. The reflector will be on a European Space Agency mission.

It will help study forests: This reflector will support a carbon-monitoring satellite mission to study the changing state of global forests. It will observe annual changes in biomass — the amount of living matter in a given habitat — in most of the world’s forests, over multiple growth cycles.

Studying biomass is important in understanding the Earth’s climate.

"It's really a great way to measure how the Earth is changing over time," Krishnan said.

Wide range of models: Krishnan said Harris makes a wide variety of reflectors, ranging from 1 to 22 meters in size (3.3 feet to 72.2 feet). The 100th reflector is 12 meters (39.4 feet). 

"It really allows us a lot of diversity to deliver solutions to our customers," Krishnan said.

"Major accomplishment" cited: “The production of Harris’ 100th unfurlable mesh reflector is a major accomplishment, and we’re excited to see it support an environmental mission with global impact,” said Tom Campbell, general manager for space antennas and structures at Harris Space and Intelligence Systems. “This is a tribute to the more than 400 dedicated men and women who engineer and build these state-of-the-art reflectors at Harris.”

Dave Berman is government editor at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649

or dberman@floridatoday.com.

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