U.S. Senator Chris Dodd has weighed in on the NASA next generation spacesuit controversy on behalf of a company from his home state of Connecticut.
Hamilton Sundstrand - which has been making U.S. spacesuits for 40 years - recently lost the contract to Texas-based Oceaneering. NASA subsequently voided the contract after Hamilton Sundstrand filed an appeal with the Government Accountability Office and the NASA Inspector General’s Office raised concerns about the fairness of the bidding process.
“As NASA begins a new space suit competition, it is important that we get it right this time,” said Dodd. “The people who know space-suits best— the Hamilton Sundstrand workers who have been making them since the early years of the Apollo program – should get the fair shot that they deserve. I will remain vigilant in working to ensure that NASA executes an unbiased competition. At the end of the day, I am convinced that Hamilton Sundstrand can win this competition fair and square and will continue manufacturing the suits that protect America’s astronauts for years to come.”
The text of Dodd’s letter is reproduced below:
