NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
has awarded the University-affiliated Spaceport Technology Development
Contract (USTDC) to an industry team that includes Swales Aerospace. The
contract has a basic performance period of 4 years, 7 months with five 1-year
options. Work began officially on March 1, 2003 and will be performed at KSC
and at NASA facilities located on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Prime contractor ASRC Aerospace Corp. will lead the effort to provide non-
routine engineering development services to operational customers performing
processing, launch, landing, and range activities at KSC. In addition, the
team — which also includes Sierra Lobo, Inc., and the University of Florida
— will perform applied research and development functions to meet future
technology challenges.
“We are very pleased to be on the ASRC Aerospace winning team,” said
Swales Aerospace CEO Tom Wilson. “This win is important as we continue to
expand our business base with NASA.”
Swales will perform primarily in the mechanisms, structures and materials,
and systems engineering areas. Swales plans to commit about 40 of its
engineering staff to work on USTDC tasks when the project begins.
Wilson noted additionally that his company’s participation on USTDC, in
conjunction with its partnership with Analex on the Expandable Launch Vehicles
Integrated Support (ELVIS) services contract, “ensures that Swales Aerospace
will have a strong presence at Kennedy Space Center for a very long period of
time.”
An employee-owned business, Swales Aerospace provides state-of-the-art
engineering solutions and spacecraft, as well as a broad range of structural
and thermal management systems for the global satellite industry. Now in its
25h year, Swales boasts an enviable performance record highlighted by mission-
essential work on the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope and
dozens of Space Shuttle launches.
Swales is headquartered in Beltsville, Md., posted annual revenues of $150
million during 2002 and employs more than 900 aerospace professionals in
Maryland, Virginia, California, Florida and Texas.
Additional information about the company’s solutions and successes can be
found at http://www.swales.com .