New NASA Partnership with Lockheed Martin to Establish Government-industry Collaboration

Michael Mewhinney

NASA Ames Research Center, Silicon Valley, CA

(Phone: 650/604-3937, 650/604-9000)

mmewhinney@mail.arc.nasa.gov

Wendy Owen

Lockheed Martin Technology Services, Cherry Hill, NJ

(Phone 856/486-5126)

wendy.a.owen@lmco.com

RELEASE: 00-02AR

NEW NASA PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCKHEED MARTIN TO ESTABLISH GOVERNMENT-INDUSTRY
COLLABORATION

NASA Ames Research Center Director Dr. Henry McDonald and Lockheed
Martin Space Operations President Jay Honeycutt today signed a Memorandum

of Understanding (MOU) to establish research collaborations at the NASA
Research Park at NASA Ames Research Center, Silicon Valley, CA.
Ames and Lockheed Martin will collaborate in planning future joint
research and development, (R&D) and education partnerships, according to
the terms of the agreement.

“This is the first time that a government agency and a national aerospace
corporation have agreed to work together as part of the development of a
world-class, shared use R&D campus like the NASA Research Park,” said
McDonald. “I am delighted to form this planning partnership with Lockheed
Martin to conduct joint research in cutting-edge technologies and to
develop new ideas to improve the nation’s education infrastructure,” he
said.

“Research collaborations with government agencies, academic
institutions and nonprofit organizations are a crucial component of our
business strategy for the future,” Honeycutt said. “This partnership with
Ames is an important first step in our new approach to commerce in the next
century, and we hope to develop collaborations with other NASA Research
Park partners. Our first opportunity will be to work with NASA on a variety
of critical R&D initiatives, with an emphasis on Astrobiology. We also plan
to focus on life and microgravity sciences, biotechnology, aeronautical and
space technology development, education and workforce development,
technology commercialization, and information technology research,” he
added.

“The exciting future of Astrobiology, which is the study of the
origin, evolution, distribution and destiny of life in the universe, will
take a major step forward with this partnership with a world-class
aerospace corporation like Lockheed Martin,” said NASA Ames Associate
Director for Astrobiology and Space Programs Scott Hubbard.

“Lockheed Martin is our first industry partner for the NASA
Research Park,” said Ames’ Chief of Development and Communication Michael
Marlaire. “We have planning MOUs with a number of outstanding academic
institutions for R&D collaborations and educational programs at the NASA
Research Park, including the University of California at Santa Cruz,
Stanford University, San Jose State University and Foothill-DeAnza
Community College, ” Marlaire said. “Lockheed Martin brings far-reaching
potential for synergistic relationships with the other partners and will
enable the NASA Research Park to become a truly unique place for industry,
academia and federal scientists and engineers to share ideas in new ways.”
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global
enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and
services. The corporation’s core businesses include systems integration,
space, aeronautics, and technology services. Employing more than 160,000
people worldwide, Lockheed Martin reported sales surpassing $26 billion in
1998.

– end –