TIM FURNISS / LONDON
NASA decision on polar-orbiting system disappoints losing contractor Lockheed Martin
TRW has won its largest-ever satellite manufacturing contract, beating Lockheed Martin to the $4.5 billion deal as prime contractor for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). Raytheon will provide the command, control, communications and data processing ground segment under a $1 billion contract.
The $6.6 billion NPOESS programme will replace the Lockheed Martin-built US Air Force Defense Meteorology Satellite Programme (DMSP) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) polar-orbiting satellite fleets.
NASA will also be part of the new NPOESS organisation which combines the polar-orbiting satellites into a single national system.
NPOESS is expected to cost $1.6 billion less than operating separate systems. Initially, two satellites are to be built, with options for up to six more. The first launch will be in 2009 and the programme will continue up to 2018.
The existing NOAA and DMSP satellites are based on a Block II5D series spacecraft bus introduced in 1986-7, the final launches of which are still to be completed. The satellites were originally built by RCA Satcom, which via changes in ownership became GE Astro Space, then Martin Marietta Astro Space and finally Lockheed Martin.
NOAA and the USAF were planning Block 6 series follow-on satellites for launch in 2005 before then US president Bill Clinton in 1994 made the first moves towards an integrated series.
Lockheed Martin is "disappointed" at losing the NPOESS work and has not discounted some lay-offs as a result.
TRW and Lockheed Martin are also competing for another lucrative space contract, to build the Next Generation Space Telescope for NASA. The winner of the $1 billion-plus deal is expected to be announced this month.
Spectrum Astro has been selected by NASA to build the Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) in a $107 million contact which includes design, manufacture and integration of the instruments. GLAST will be launched into low-Earth orbit in 2006 to study black hole particle jets and other high energy phenomena. The mission involves the USA, Europe and Japan.
Source: Flight International
