Satellite Technology Feature Article
March 15, 2010
NASA Spends $60 Million to Extend Johnson Safety and Mission Assurance Contract
By Jyothi Shanbhag, TMCnet Contributor
NASA has announced that it’s investing $60 million to extend a one-year contract with Science Applications International Corporation of Houston to facilitate safety and mission assurance activities at the agency's Johnson Space Center.
Johnson Space Center also know as JSC is home to the NASA astronaut corps and is responsible for training space explorers from the United States and its space station partner nations.
Extension of the Safety and Mission Assurance Support Services contract will ensure JSC with safety, reliability, maintainability and quality in the International Space Station, space shuttle and Constellation programs.
This particular project includes various other subcontractors such as Futron Corp. of Bethesda, Md.; GHG of Houston; M.H. Chew of Livermore, Calif.; URS - Washington Division of Princeton, N.J.; Management Technology Associates of Huntsville, Ala.; J&P Technologies and JES Tech, both of Houston; SoHaR Incorporated of Culver City, Calif.; and Texas Southern University of Houston, to take care of the whole deployment and procedures.
According to the sources, cost-plus-award-fee contract contract option has been exercised continues services from May 1, 2010, through April 30, 2011. Work under the contract will be performed at Johnson, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico.
NASA is an expert in the future space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. It has been continuously involved in the aeronautics research pioneered by NACA. It also conducted purely scientific research and worked on developing applications for space technology, combining both pursuits in developing the first weather and communications satellites.
NASA Television was recently in news for announcing that its team is covering the landing of two current International Space Station crew members and the launch of three upcoming station residents later in March and April. Coverage begins with a broadcast of crew farewells and hatch closure aboard the station March 17, and continues with the arrival, docking and hatch opening of the new Expedition 23 crew members on April 4.
Jyothi Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Jyothi's articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Marisa Torrieri
