Lockheed Martin will continue providing on-the-ground cargo services for missions to the International Space Station (ISS), the company says.
Under the three-year, $85 million contract, Lockheed will support planning, coordination, preparation and packing of standardized containers for cargo missions to and from the ISS. The three-month phase-in period, included in the initial $85 million begins 1 January, with the base period running from 1 April 2011 through 31 March 2014. Exercising all of the four one-year extension options would bring the deal's total value to $171 million through 2017, NASA says.
Lockheed will work with vehicle providers in United States, Japan, Europe, Russia, as well as domestic commercial launch vehicles when they begin service, the company says. As pre-packed cargo will be shipped to launch sites within the United States, French Guiana, Kazakhstan, and Japan, Lockheed will also be responsible for arranging ground transportation and addressing import regulations as needed.
The deal also includes Flight Crew Equipment (FCE) support to buy, maintain and prepare items the crew requires for the ISS, such as clothing, housekeeping and personal hygiene items, audio/visual equipment and laptop computers.
Source: Flight International
