NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Ala., has
selected Teledyne Brown Engineering of Huntsville, Ala., for a
contract to provide services in support of the center’s work in the
field of microgravity science and applications. Microgravity science
is an area of research that takes advantage of the near-weightlessness
or low-gravity environment in space.
In performing the work, Teledyne Brown Engineering will be supported
by several subcontractor team members, all of which are small,
Huntsville business firms. The subcontractors are: bd Systems, Madison
Research Corporation, and Tec-Masters, Inc. Currently, this work is
performed across a variety of contracts, and this contract represents
a streamlined approach to support microgravity science activities at
MSFC.
This is a 5-year contract with an option for an additional 5 years.
Services are to be provided under the contract on an as-needed basis
with reimbursement of the contractor on a cost-plus award fee and
performance-incentive fee system. The minimum contract value for the
first 5-year option is $15 million; the maximum contract value could
be up to $568 million over the full 10-year period. This contract was
awarded after a competitive selection process.
Services under the contract will be performed at Marshall facilities
in Huntsville and will extend from June 14, 2002, through June 30,
2007. If NASA exercises the five-year option, work will continue until
June 30, 2012.
A major component of the work will consist of developing, operating
and providing sustaining support of flight and ground systems used in
Marshall-managed microgravity research. Microgravity investigations
conducted in Earth orbit further our understanding of critical
biological, chemical and physical processes, opening doors to
commercial development of space.
