Boeing Autometric has received a $16.6 million contract from the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) to produce topographic data collected during a space shuttle mission. Boeing Autometric is a unit of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, a part of The Boeing Company [NYSE:BA].

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) flew on NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavor in February 2000. The data collected from this mission contains the most detailed height measurements ever gathered of planet Earth.

"Working in conjunction with NIMA, Boeing Autometric will provide the software and direct support to complete more than 8,000 cells (each being one degree of latitude by one degree of longitude in size) of radar data, equivalent to nearly one terabyte of information," said Tony Moraco, general manager of Boeing Autometric. "When the SRTM program is complete, NIMA will have the most detailed and accurate elevation data ever compiled for 80% of the world's landmass."

Boeing Autometric has been responsible for project management and client coordination, as well as developing the interactive editing system interface and digital elevation model editing tools, part of the technology incorporated from Boeing Autometric's Softplotter® software. A team of 50 operators, including subcontractors, will perform the team's share of the production work, which will result in data covering three complete continents and sections of two others.

SRTM 2-2-2