PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                February 21, 1994


       The Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) Pathfinder project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has begun using a project management computer information network system to streamline its work flow to help it meet the challenge of "faster, better, cheaper" missions.

       MESUR Pathfinder is one of the first missions under NASA's Discovery program of smaller, low-cost missions. It is planned for launch in 1996 with a landing on Mars in July 1997.

       The management system is from Aaron-Ross Corporation, a small, woman-owned business in Glendora, Calif.

       The Aaron-Ross project management information system will help the project meet its critical deadlines by connecting all members of the team via the computer network. The system will operate under a client-server architecture with common access, storage and retrieval to information using Macintosh, MSDOS/Windows and Unix applications. It also features enterprise wide workflow process and document/image management.

       Apple Computer will provide the system software, building upon its virtually integrated technical architecture lifecycle (VITAL) approach. Tandem Computers will provide a Non-Stop POSIX parallel server to run the system. Aaron-Ross will perform the system development and system integration.

       The team began development of the system in January in a "proof-of-concept" trial basis for one year.

       MESUR Pathfinder is managed by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science.


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2/21/94 MAH
#9413

Note to journalists: Aaron-Ross Corporation can be reached at (818) 963-4119. Tandem Computers Incorporated can be reached at (408) 285-6000.