Raytheon Technical Services Co. will continue to operate and maintain one of NASA’s main astronaut training facilities at Johnson Space Center in Houston through 2015 under a $120 million contract the Reston, Va.-based Raytheon subsidiary announced Aug. 30.

Raytheon says it has approximately 70 employees supporting NASA’s Sonny Carter Training Facility, which consists of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. NASA astronauts use the facility to practice spacewalks and on-orbit assembly techniques.

The contract runs from Oct. 1, 2010 through Sept. 30, 2015 if all options are exercised. Raytheon’s original contract was awarded in 2003.