NASA Awards $51.4 Million Contract for Development of Next Generation Spacecraft By NASA Glenn

Sen. Voinovich played pivotal role in securing the new mission for Plum Brook

WASHINGTON, D.C. – NASA announced today that Benham Constructors LLC of Oklahoma City has been selected to receive a $51.4 million contract to design, build and commission a vibration and acoustic test capability that will support development of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) at the Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station in Sandusky. Plum Brook Station is operated by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

The CEV is a spacecraft that will support exploration missions to the space station, the moon and Mars. Testing of the CEV is part of a new mission for NASA Glenn, which includes designing of the CEV as well as overseeing the development of several Crew Launch Vehicle upper stage systems. This new mission will secure the future of NASA Glenn and assist with the growth of the economy and creation of jobs in northern Ohio.

“NASA Glenn has proven time and again that it is a world class research facility and a major piece of NASA’s vision and future,” U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) said. “I am so glad NASA Glenn has secured an identifiable mission that includes designing the CEV. The awarding of this contact is a major step towards bringing additional high-paying aerospace jobs to Ohio and truly represents the launching of a new chapter in the history of NASA Glenn and northern Ohio.”

As a former mayor of Cleveland and governor of Ohio, Sen. Voinovich has long been involved with the programs at NASA Glenn, and he played a pivotal role in securing the Orion CEV mission by ensuring that Plum Brook Station was up-to-date to sustain and grow the mission. Sen. Voinovich was recently a featured speaker at a dedication ceremony to celebrate the Space Power Facility’s role in the testing of the Orion spacecraft.

For more information about Glenn’s Space Power Facility, visit: http://facilities.grc.nasa.gov/spf/