GREENBELT, Md., Feb. 19, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), two of Maryland's largest employers, will sign a Space Act Agreement on Thursday, Feb. 21 creating a framework for the two organizations to work together to develop advanced remote sensing systems that will enable key space and earth science measurements.

The signing ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. EST in the Miller Senate Building, Presidential Conference Center West at the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis. Reporters interested in attending should contact either Dewayne Washington or Tom Delaney at the phone numbers listed.

Dr. Laurie Leshin, Deputy Director for Science and Technology at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, and Joseph Ensor, Sector Vice President and General Manager of Northrop Grumman's Space and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) Systems Division in Linthicum, Md., will sign the agreement. Also on hand will be scientists and engineers involved in the development and application of these ground-breaking technologies to explain how the capabilities could be used for missions that answer fundamental questions about Earth's changing climate and the evolution of our planetary neighbors.

For more information about Goddard, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/goddard

For more information about Northrop Grumman, visit: http://www.es.northropgrumman.com/

  CONTACT:  Tom Delaney
          Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
          410-993-6454
          thomas.delaney@ngc.com

          Mark Hess / Dewayne Washington
          Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
          301-286-6255 / 0040
          mark.s.hess@nasa.gov / Dewayne.A.Washington@nasa.gov