HILLSBORO, OREGON and RICHARDSON, TEXAS (USA) – June 20, 2013 –TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. a leading RF solutions supplier and technology innovator, reflected on its role in helping land NASA's Curiosity rover safely on Mars as program managers say the mission is reaching an important turning point. TriQuint has supported NASA programs for decades, including devices aboard the Sky Crane landing radar of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and its Curiosity rover.
The MSL captured worldwide attention on August 6, 2012 when its Sky Crane traveled the now-famous 'seven minutes of terror' to lower Curiosity safely to the Martian surface. NASA accomplished its feat with a pre-programmed landing sequence that was vital since the communication time delay between the planets meant Curiosity's final descent could not be piloted from Earth. TriQuint delivered five Sky Crane landing radar components that helped make a safe touchdown possible. The Sky Crane's success culminated four year's work by TriQuint engineers who consulted with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Soon after landing, Curiosity confirmed that the Gale Crater site had once been capable of supporting microbial life. Since then it has found an ancient stream bed and allowed scientists to determine that the Martian radiation environment is similar to what astronauts experience aboard the International Space Station. The rover collected rock samples containing sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon, leading scientists to believe Mars could have supported microbial life billions of years ago. The MSL is now nearly half way through its planned 23-month mission.
TriQuint high performance pHEMT products in the MSL's landing radar included the TGA4036 Ka-band medium power amplifier, the TGS4302 high power Ka-band SPDT switch, the TGA4517 Ka-band RF power amplifier, the TGC1430G frequency tripler, all fabricated using TriQuint's 0.25-micron technology, and the TGA4508, a Ka-band low-noise amplifier that utilized a 0.15-micron TriQuint process. Before assembly into the MSL, TriQuint devices endured an arduous space qualification screening process which far exceeds requirements of typical commercial or defense programs.
"The Mars Science Laboratory is not the first NASA mission for our technology, but it's surely one of the most exciting for the design team and all of us at TriQuint," said James Klein, Vice President and General Manager of Infrastructure and Defense Products. "When the customer is NASA, the location is Mars, and the end user is a precedent-setting, history-making spacecraft, the word 'exciting' takes on a whole new meaning."
TriQuint's portfolio of space-qualified products demonstrates a continuing commitment to reaching further, turning advanced research and development into high performance products that add real value for customers.
For more information about TriQuint's space products and the latest solutions for terrestrial RF applications, visit our space webpage on www.triquint.com, or go to How To Buy for local assistance. Visit us at register to receive product updates through TriQuint's newsletter.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements include statements regarding TriQuint's intent to implement a program to repurchase shares of its common stock, the manner in which such program will be implemented,
and the level of investment and sources of funding for the program. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in the statements herein. Risks that may
cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include, among others, termination or suspension of the repurchase program, which may occur at any time, changes in the
manner in which we implement the program, we may use substantially less than the full $75 million allocated under this repurchase program, fluctuations in the market price of our
common stock and other risk factors described in TriQuint's reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports can be
accessed at the SEC web site, www.sec.gov. Except as required by law, TriQuint undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results
of any revision to these forward-looking statements. A reader of this release should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all risk factors and should not
consider the risk factors described in TriQuint's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties.
FACTS ABOUT TRIQUINT
Founded in 1985, TriQuint Semiconductor (NASDAQ: TQNT) is a leading global provider of innovative RF solutions and foundry services for the world's top communications, defense and
aerospace companies. People and organizations around the world need real-time, all-the-time connections; TriQuint products help reduce the cost and increase the performance of
connected mobile devices and the networks that deliver critical voice, data and video communications. With the industry's broadest technology portfolio, recognized R&D
leadership, and expertise in high-volume manufacturing, TriQuint creates standard and custom products using gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), surface acoustic wave
(SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) technologies. The company has ISO9001-certified manufacturing facilities in the U.S., production in Costa Rica, and design centers in North
America and Germany. For more information, visit www.triquint.com.
TriQuint: Reach Further, Reach Faster TM
Media Contact: Mark W. Andrews
Strategic Marketing Communications Manager
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc
Tel: +1 407 884 3404
Mobile: +1 407 353 8727
E-mail: mark.andrews@triquint.com
Infrastructure and Defense Products: Eric Cooper
Space Products Manager
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc
Tel: +1 407 598 3094
E-mail: eric.cooper@triquint.com