NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., will extend its Checkout, Assembly, and Payload Processing Services contract for three years with Boeing Space Operations Company of Titusville, Fla., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, Chicago.

The contract extension and modification, valued at $278.5 million, covers Oct. 1, 2006, through Sept. 30, 2009. The total contract value including exercised and unexercised options is approximately $846 million.

The contract is a performance-based, cost-plus award fee contract to provide checkout, assembly, and payload processing services at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Under the contract, Boeing provides management and technical support of payload processing for the space shuttle, International Space Station and expendable launch vehicle programs. Services and support include the planning for and receiving of payloads, maintenance of associated ground support systems, integration of payloads with the space shuttle, launch support and space shuttle post-landing payload activities.

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