HEICO’s 3D-Plus and VPT, Inc. Subsidiaries Supply Mission-Critical Parts for NASA’s ICESat-2 Mission

HEICO Corporation (NYSE:HEI.A) (NYSE:HEI) reported today that its 3D-Plus and VPT subsidiaries supplied mission-critical equipment for NASA’s ICESat-2 mission, which launched on September 15^th from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This spacecraft is the second iteration of the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite and was launched on the final Delta II rocket.

HEICO’s Buc, France-based 3D-Plus provided multiple radiation tolerant data memory modules onboard the ICESat-2 spacecraft. Blacksburg, VA-based VPT supplied DC-to-DC converter products used to power GPS tracking hardware onboard the launch vehicle and FPGA processors on the spacecraft. Historically, 3D-Plus’ and VPT’s parts have been relied on for many high-profile space missions, such as: Parker Solar Probe, Juno, New Horizons, Dawn and Orion.

The ICESat-2 program is part of NASA’s Earth Observing System, which is dedicated to measuring ice sheet elevation, sea ice thickness and observing land topography and elevation characteristics. The satellite is designed to operate for three years while having enough capacity to last for seven years. Weighing approximately 3,338 pounds, the satellite was launched into a near-circular, near-polar orbit with an altitude of approximately 310 miles and is traveling at 4.3 miles per second. Since the spacecraft will measure certain Earth characteristics to within an inch, it is critical to know where the satellite is positioned and to know where on the planet’s surface that the instrument is taking measurements. Numerous high-tech equipment, such as GPS hardware, lasers, telescopes, detectors and altimeters were embedded into the satellite to fulfill this specific requirement.

Laurans A. Mendelson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HEICO Corporation, along with Victor H. Mendelson, HEICO’s Co-President and Chief Executive Officer of the Electronics Technologies Group, jointly commented, "We are, yet again, happy to congratulate NASA and the 3D-Plus and VPT teams on this successful launch. The ICESat-2 is a critical mission that will help our society understand and monitor the planet in which we all live. We thank the entire 3D-Plus and VPT teams for their continued commitment to outstanding innovation and excellence.”

Pierre Maurice, 3D-Plus’ President and Co-Founder, and Dan Sable, VPT’s CEO and Co-Founder, jointly stated, "Our respective teams at 3D-Plus and VPT are honored to work with NASA and its suppliers to support such an important mission. Both of our companies strive to work with these partners on ambitious and meaningful projects that are at the forefront of scientific exploration, such as the ICESat-2 and the Parker Solar Probe, which recently launched this August. We also thank our world-class teams for their dedication and unparalleled efforts.”

HEICO Corporation is engaged primarily in the design, production, servicing and distribution of products and services to certain niche segments of the aviation, defense, space, medical, telecommunications and electronics industries through its Hollywood, Florida-based Flight Support Group and its Miami, Florida-based Electronic Technologies Group. HEICO’s customers include a majority of the world’s airlines and overhaul shops, as well as numerous defense and space contractors and military agencies worldwide, in addition to medical, telecommunications and electronics equipment manufacturers. For more information about HEICO, please visit our website at http://www.heico.com.

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