Neptec's Iain Christie (Darren Brown, OBJ)

Technology from an Ottawa company is helping NASA decide what kind of precautions it should take for the Space Shuttle Endeavour's return to Earth.

Ten Neptec staffers from the 80-person Kanata-based firm are in Houston, supporting the NASA space mission, the sixth such mission since the Columbia space shuttle burned up on re-entry in 2003, killing its crew.

"We've been flying this technology since the 'return to' flights. This is the sixth time that it's flown," said Neptec president Iain Christie Monday.

"It was yesterday that we did all the scanning," he said, about the laser scanner system developed by his firm.

"We have staff that are supporting the mission (in Houston). They are the ones who supported it, making sure it worked properly, and analyzed the data."

Neptec's scanner makes three-dimensional measurements which, when put it on a grid, create a high-profile image with extremely high precision. It was needed to scan the underside of the space shuttle after last week's takeoff.

During Endeavour's take-off from Florida, a chunk of insulating foam fell off and hit the shuttle, creating an eight-centimetre-long gouge in the space shuttle's underside.

Neptec's camera will help NASA decide what kind of measures are necessary, if any, to prevent the shuttle and its seven-man crew – including Canadian astronaut Dave Williams – from burning up on re-entry to Earth.

Neptec is in its fifth year of a seven-year contract with NASA for the use of its scanner, a contract worth more than $10 million, said Mr. Christie.

Neptec has leveraged that contract into several other sales, including another to NASA which combines the scanner technology with a long-range sensor that will be used for space rendezvous and docking.

This past weekend translated into a lot of welcome overtime for some workers at Neptec, said Mr. Christie.

"We do have a lot of guys down there who are doing this work," he said. "It's one of those business where we don't get a lot of work when they don't need us, but when they do, we really have to be on our game."