NASA Awards Space Flight Assessment Contract

NASA has awarded a five-year, $9.4 million contract to The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, Calif., for assessments pertaining to space flight operations.

The contract provides for non-advocacy assessments of space flight program implementation, design approaches, advanced pre-deployment planning, developmental and operational risks, flight readiness and the processes used to conduct the above activities.

Independent assessments include design, engineering analyses, testing, launch-readiness, and operation of military and civilian space vehicles. In addition, independent assessments include evaluations of engineering designs of delivery systems and spacecraft platforms, the integration of military, civilian, and international spacecraft, and the impact of command, control and communications links between the spacecraft ground control stations and the space based systems.

The contractor will interface with, but remain independent from, government organizations and contractors participating in space flight programs. Interface requirements include interaction with the agency’s Independent Assessment Office, International Space Station Program, Space Shuttle Program, Exploration Program, Crew Exploration Vehicle Program, and any future related programs.

The work will be performed at the contractor’s facilities and NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home