Sierra Circuits Receives Certificate of Appreciation from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for Outstanding Support on AIRSAR-NG Mission

PRESS RELEASE

Sunnyvale, CA — December 9^th, 2025 — Sierra Circuits is honored to announce that we have received a Certificate of Appreciation for Supplier Trust and Recognition (STAR) from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The award recognizes Sierra Circuits’ exceptional service, attention to detail, and on-time delivery in support of the AIRSAR-NG (Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar – Next Generation) program.

JPL engineers Peter Littlewood and Joseph Riendeau commended Sierra Circuits for performance that “went above and beyond” during one of the project’s most demanding PCB builds—a 14-layer rigid board requiring complex fabrication, precise registration control, and a critical rework effort.

Sierra Circuits’ Director of Manufacturing highlighted the complexity of the AIRSAR-NG build and the care required to execute it flawlessly:

“We had to ensure registration stayed within tight tolerances while performing critical rework, including redrilling some vias. Our team handled it carefully to maintain plating integrity and meet all specifications.”

This attention to detail and precise execution was a key factor in keeping the project on schedule and supporting JPL’s mission-critical requirements.

JPL’s RF Engineer, Peter Littlewood, who led the AIRSAR-NG hardware effort, shared that the board was among the most challenging designs he had worked on:

“This was probably one of the most complicated builds I’ve ever done. I was very impressed by Sierra’s commitment—not only during the build but afterward. The rework I asked for was outside the original scope, yet Sierra partnered with us without hesitation. Their work moved our project ahead by three to four months.”

JPL Electronic Packaging Engineer, Joseph Riendeau, added:

“Sierra has consistently met the aggressive schedules our projects demand. On AIRSAR-NG, they helped resolve a design-side drawing issue and delivered a flawless product. That level of support was exceptionally helpful.”

About AIRSAR-NG

The AIRSAR-NG system is an airborne radar mission deployed on a Gulfstream aircraft to collect high-resolution radar data around the world. By flying repeat passes over the same region and comparing the resulting maps, the system can detect centimeter-level surface changes, enabling applications such as:

• monitoring ground deformation and subsidence
• tracking water table fluctuations during drought and recharge cycles
• supporting disaster response by identifying landslides, infrastructure damage, and flood impacts

The technology has supported missions across California, Texas, and even remote areas like Greenland.

Commitment to mission-critical and ITAR work

As an ITAR-regulated program, AIRSAR-NG required tightly controlled processes, secure documentation handling, and rigorous oversight. Sierra Circuits’ dedicated engineering and compliance teams ensured every step—from fabrication to rework—met the stringent requirements necessary for JPL’s high-reliability missions.

A recognition for the whole team

“We’re incredibly proud of our team,” said Amit Bahl, Chief Revenue Officer at Sierra Circuits. “Supporting JPL’s science and Earth observation missions is meaningful work, and our engineers approach every project with the care and precision it deserves. This award is an honor and a testament to our long-standing partnership with NASA’s JPL.”

We’d like to thank Allison Guerrero, Procurement Quality Assurance Engineer at JPL, for taking the time to visit Sierra Circuits and present the award in person. Her visit made the recognition even more meaningful for our team.