Month: February 2009

NASA Awards Contract for Lunar Spacesuit

Constellation, NASA, oceaneering 2

NASA PRESS RELEASE

NASA has awarded an interim letter contract to Oceaneering International Inc. of Houston to begin work on the design, development and production of a new spacesuit system for the Constellation Program. The system will protect astronauts during voyages to the International Space Station and exploration of the moon’s surface.

The letter contract requires Oceaneering International to begin work on the basic period of performance while NASA and the company negotiate the contract’s final terms. The current award amount for the performance of the letter contract is limited to $9.6 million. It will become effective March 2 and be in effect until the full contract is defined, no later than Aug. 29, 2009.

(more…)

IG: NASA Boards Riddled With Conflicts of Interest

Constellation, NASA 0

NASA INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT
ON STANDING REVIEW BOARDS

We found 21 SRB members—close to one-third of all non-Federal CxP SRB members— with conflicts of interest and determined that each of the SRBs for CxP and its constituent Projects included at least one non-Federal Government employee who was conflicted.

(more…)

Chinese Snags Launch Contract with a Eutelsat Now Free of U.S. ITAR Restrictions

China, ITAR 0

Why China Will Launch More of the World’s Satellites
Time

News this week that China has secured its first launch contract with a major Western satellite operator in more than a decade comes as a major boost for Beijing, which wants a bigger chunk of the world’s bustling satellite launch business. Paris-based communications satellite operator Eutelsat would not comment on a Feb. 23 Wall Street Journal report that the company had finalized a deal to launch a satellite aboard a Chinese Long March rocket sometime in 2010. If true, the launch will mark a major leap forward for China’s space program.

(more…)